As part of activities to celebrate the UN event, the Tema Regional office of the company held a durbar last Friday on the theme: ‘Leveraging water for peace.”

In attendance were some consumers, members of the Tema Manhean Water Sellers Association, and selected pupils from first cycle schools in the area.
 

Access

The Tema Regional Chief Manager of the GWL, Amidu Musah, said water could spark and intensify conflict when access was denied and usage was unfairly distributed.

He added that since water was key to life, its scarcity was likely to provoke conflict and, therefore, the need for communities and countries to cooperate to preserve fresh water sources.

Mr Musah said climate change and rapid population growth had put additional pressure on the limited water resources available for treatment and distribution.

He, therefore, advised consumers to adopt measures to save water, adding that his outfit had resorted to water demand management to communities such as Tema Manhean, to ensure its fair distribution.

Mr Musah urged consumers against watering their lawns, and other activities that tend to waste water.

He also encouraged consumers to report all burst pipes and leakages to local GWL district offices, customer service centres and problem offices for the needed repairs to be carried out.

Illegal mining

Mr Musah further expressed worry about activities of illegal mining and sand mining operations, which he said had a negative impact on freshwater resources for treatment.

He said the wanton activities of the miners, especially near freshwater sources, had forced the company to invest more in the purchase of chemicals for treatment of water.

“The cost of chemicals for treating water has gone up because the company has to use more expensive and potent chemicals like polymer instead of alum to treat the raw water,” he said