Residents in some parts of Cape Coast have resorted to wells and sachet water for domestic chores due to erratic flow of treated water from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
GWCL announced fortnight ago a decision to ration water due to the dry season, which it said was affecting water supply to some parts of the country.
Though the company had said the Central regional capital was not going to be part of the rationing as all nine water treatment facilities in the region were adequately operational, checks by 3news have revealed otherwise.
Residents in areas like Abease, Aboom, Aquarium, Kwaporow and Bricksfield have for the past two days not had water flowing through their taps for 24-hour.
Some residents who spoke to 3news.com said they have resorted to sachet water to bath and cook their meals, while they fetch water from nearby wells for laundry.
One resident, Mr. Kofi Annan says he has had to buy eight bags of sachet water for his family of four in two days to be able to have a clean bath.
“My tap hasn’t been flowing for the past two days so i usually come to buy the well water to flush the WC but when it has to do with cooking, I buy pure water. I have already bought eight bags of pure water within the last two days,” he said.
Another resident said he fetches water from the well in the evenings because there are usually long queues in the mornings.
Manager for one of the wells in Cape Coast, Kojo Gyasi told 3News how business has been booming, noting people start trooping in from as early as 3:00am, especially on weekends.
“Had it not been for the well, those of us in this area would have had real water challenges. People come from as far as Abease and Municipal to Bricksfield to fetch this water,” he said.
Meanwhile, a visit to the Kakum River in Ebubonku and Amoyaw which supplies raw water to the GWCL treatment plant revealed human activities were contributing to the current water challenge.
People were seen bathing and washing in the river that is obviously meant for treatment and consumption by the entire city.
A young girl, Ruth Quayson, who spoke with 3News said she bathes in the river each morning and evening after school because she doesn’t feel good using the bathroom.
Surprisingly, she said she does not know the implications of bathing in the river and the effects in has on the consumers.
“I love to bath here in the morning and evenings because i feel refreshed when I bath in the river. I also fetch some of the water for other household chores but I do not know how bathing or washing in the river can affect anybody” she said.
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