A community standpipe has remained locked up for the past 25 years over illegal connection and indebtedness to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) at Gberkormanya, a Suburb of Somanya in the Eastern Region.
The pipe was set up to serve residents of Gberkormanya and surrounding communities but the closure of the facility means residents have no option but to resort to alternative means to access water in an area with limited sources of pipe-borne water.
Here, residents appealed for the standpipe which has been disconnected over the past 25 years due to its indebtedness to the Ghana Water Company Limited, to be reconnected.
They say though the facility was reconnected through the intervention of the then NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Yilo Krobo during the government’s free water policy, it was subsequently disconnected after the expiration of the policy.
Narrating the circumstances behind the disconnection, a resident and opinion leader, Evans Kwao told GhanaWeb thus, “This is our only source of water in this community but it’s been locked up over the past twenty or twenty-five years.
"Our enquiries revealed that there have been accrued debts on the line but during the 2020 elections, due to the free water policy, it was renovated and reconnected for us,” said Mr. Kwao.
He continued however that, officials from the GWCL soon after the 2020 elections returned to the facility to disconnect their services.
He said, “After the elections, authorities came from the Ghana Water Company Limited to disconnect it so we are appealing to the [Yilo Krobo] Municipal Assembly to assist us because this is our only source of water.
According to him, efforts to get the situation addressed have proven futile despite persistent visits and follow-ups to the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly and the GWCL. The residents appealed to the local Assembly to assist them to defray the debt to ensure that water services are reconnected.
Mr. Evans Kwao appealed: “We are appealing to the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly to help us to pay the debt to enable us access water supply in the community because the absence of potable water here is difficult for us.”
The GWCL, they say, is accusing the community of illegally connecting the service during the free water policy and has thus imposed a fine of Ghc3000 on the community.
Aside from the fine, the Company is also demanding that the residents pay their debt accrued on the line more than two decades ago which they have defaulted in doing, and the operations of the facility regularized by acquiring a meter from the institution for the facility before services can be restored.
But the people are demanding an estimated bill from the water company and declare as bad debt the fine imposed on them for the illegal connection.
“We are pleading with the GWCL to furnish us with our estimated bill to enable us to take steps towards payment but the bill has not been provided. The fine for the illegal connection should also be written off since the reconnection was done during the government’s free water period.” residents pleaded.
Krobo District Manager for the GWCL, Mr. Jones Seneadza when contacted on the issue directed opinion leaders of the community to come to the office to provide information on the situation for the necessary action.
“Whoever was in charge when it was disconnected, let the person come to the office…let them do follow-up, it is when you are armed with information that you can say certain things…for all you know when you go inside, you’ll realize that they are at fault that’s why they’re not even coming to the office,” noted the manager.
