The Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) Sanitation and Water Project has connected about 5,000 households to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) pipeline to access clean and quality drinking water.
The project, sponsored by the World Bank (WB), is aimed at increasing access to water supply and improved sanitation in Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area.
Engineer Somuah Tenkorang, GKMA Water Project Coordinator, explained that, under Component 2 of the project, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, through the Ghana Water Company Limited, will construct, at least, 100 kilometres of pipeline works in all eight Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts (MMDAs) of the GKMA, to improve the water supply situation of, at least, 500,000 people, and ensure that 5,000 households were connected to the water mains.
Speaking at an event, organised to commemorate this year’s World Water Day, he stated that, the New Service Connections aspect of the project was targeted at some selected pro-poor communities in the Greater Kumasi Area, thereby contributing to the alleviation of poverty in the society.
He disclosed that the GWCL had, so far, completed the preparation of an urban water supply master plan for the GKMA, and prepared a calibrated Hydraulic Network Model to serve as a decision support tool to guide all the investments under the project.
He said all necessary designs and pipeline routes had, therefore, been carefully selected to ensure that they achieved the set objectives under the project.
Inj. Somuah reiterated that alongside embarking on community engagement to promote private water connections, the GWCL had, so far, connected about 2,000 out of the 5,000 water connections in the GKMA.
He encouraged all low income communities to subscribe to the private water connections, which have been heavily subsidised under the project.
The Project Coordinator indicated that the project would also embark on a number of activities, including the establishment of a Telemetry system to enable GWCL to monitor the health of the water supply network to improve upon the efficiency of its operations.
He disclosed that the Ghana Water Company Meter Shop in the GKMA would also be upgraded to sustain the maintenance of water meters used in GWCL operations.
Inj. George Asiedu, Coordinator of Greater Accra, Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GAMA) (GKMA) also pleaded with the media to educate the general public on the need to acquire household toilet facilities to enhance sanitation and hygiene, since the media played key role in the education and sensitisation of the public on behavioural change as agents of change to improve the living standards of the people.
