File photo of pipelines
Overaged and encrusted state of metallic water pipelines in the ancient city of Cape Coast is impeding the free flow of water into the homes of consumers, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has said.
Already, the Company had expressed concerns about the effects galamsey activities had on their operations’ intake points, particularly Sekyereheman.
It explained that the extra layers accumulated by the pipelines over the decades had reduced the inner diameters of the pipes, making it difficult to pump the right amount of water.
“So, eventually an original four-inch pipeline, for instance, had reduced in size and as such you need to pump extra hard to be able to satisfy the end-user,” Mr. Kwasi Abrebrese, the Central Regional Chief Manager of the Company has revealed.
He made this known when he addressed the media in Cape Coast after a closed-door stakeholder meeting with the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
He was, however, quick to add that the state of the pipelines did not affect the quality of water as sample tests conducted at their distribution system showed the water was safe for consumption.
“Fortunately, they do not affect the cleanliness of the water because even at the production stage when they are introducing the chemicals, they put in extra to take care of expected impurities as the water moves through the pipelines.
“Occasionally, we see that some have gone outside the range that is expected but we quickly move in to correct the situation by washing and introducing more chemicals to disinfect the system,” he said.
Mr. Abrebrese noted that as a long-term measure, some of the pipelines would eventually have to be replaced with plastic pipes but the high cost involved in the project was hindering large-scale replacements.
He said that some of the pipelines were already undergoing replacements, citing the water system at the new Cape Coast Sports Stadium as an example.
“Some entail breaking concretes and road works and all of these things take a lot of negotiations with the Ghana Highways Authority and Urban Roads. It is a very gradual and slow process through which we eventually intend to eliminate those challenges", he added.