Due to the annual spillage of the Bagre and Kompienga Dams, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is set to temporarily shut down the Nawuni water plant that supplies water to the Northern Region.
The decision was contained in a press release and signed by the GWCL’s Northern Regional Communication Officer, Nii Abbey Nicholas, and copied to media in the region. The press release said the move is to provide all stakeholders with ample time to make necessary adjustments.
“Management of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Northern Region, Tamale, regrets to announce for the information of the public and its cherished customers in the Tamale Metropolis and its environs that with reference to a communication received on Spillage from the Bagre and Kompienga Dams, it may be compelled to temporarily shut-down production for the protection of its equipment and installations,” a part of the statement read.
According to GWCL Standard Operating Procedure, the maximum level of the Intake Dam should not exceed 36 feet; but as at the morning of Tuesday, September 20, 2022, the level of the In-take Dam stood at 30.40 feet in addition to the Bagre Dam spillage
“Management would like the public and its cherished customers to understand that any operation beyond the maximum operating level puts the Water Facility in jeopardy -which could lead to the entire collapse and destruction of its equipment and installations,” GWCL warned.
The water supplier also provided assurance that water supply will continue once the river-level is within its Standard Operating levels.
While encouraging residents to store water in the interim, Mr. Abbey in a subsequent interaction said the Nawuni station cannot contain all the water spilt – adding that its replacement of the machines’ parts remains excessively high.
He also advised customers to desist from engaging in illegal water usage, and try to pay for the amount used to enable the company get the needed revenue to expand and work on the plants to provide quality water for consumption.
The spillage from the dam in Burkina Faso by Sonable Company Limited, operator of the dam, in August or September every year is due to the pattern of rainfall and level of the water system.
The annual exercise results in flooding of low-lying communities in Burkina and Ghana, of which 35 communities along the White Volta are the hardest-hit.
