GWCL TO RETRIEVE 2.5M OWED BY CONSUMERS IN TAMALE (PAGE 23, JULY 4, 2011)

THE Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has embarked on an aggressive debt collection exercise in Tamale in a bid to retrieve an estimated GH¢2.5 million owed the company by water consumers in the city.
The company has therefore commenced the prosecution of defaulting customers, as well as the disconnection of water supply to both domestic and commercial entities.
The Northern Regional Communications Officer of the GWCL, Mr Nicholas Nii-Abbey, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said the level of indebtedness to the company is affecting the operations of the company.
“As expected, our operations are being crippled by the lack of finance, which is as a result of the failure on the part of consumers to pay us for the water they consume,” he stated.
Nii-Abbey mentioned that the company had already prosecuted 10 people whose total indebtedness to the company amounted to over GH¢11,000.
“This month, we plan to prosecute 30 more defaulting customers who owe the company about GH¢50,000,” he hinted.
He however entreated defaulting customers who wanted to avoid prosecution to contact the company for negotiations to settle their debts.
The communications officer noted that 50 per cent of water produced by the GWCL to serve Tamale and its surroundings is unaccounted for.
He said it is either people were illegally tapping the water without paying for it or that there are damages in the distribution system, which has led to wastage or a combination of both.
Meanwhile, the GWCL is also making efforts towards overhauling the water supply system in the Tamale metropolis.
As part of the implementation of the two-year Subsequent Year Investment Programme (SYIP), which will commence next month, the GWCL will replace weak pipelines, extend services to low income communities and rehabilitate the existing distribution network.
The project, which would be executed by a Chinese firm, China Jiangsi Corporation, forms part of the Urban Water Supply Project being funded by the World Bank and other partners.
In 2008, another project was undertaken to expand the production capacity from 19,560 cubic metres, that is about 4.5 million gallons, to 44,560 cubic metres or 10 million gallons.
Major works that were carried out under this project included the installation of three new low lift pumps, the construction of new water treatment works and reservoirs and the laying of new transmission lines from Dalun to Tamale.
Currently, the GWCL has the capacity to produce about 45,000 cubic metres or about 10 million gallons of water per day to serve Tamale and its environs if its plants are to operate to its optimum capacity.