He expressed the concern when members of the committee inspected the GWL treatment plant at Dalun in the Kumbungu District in the Northern Region to assess the state of the equipment.

The visit, which formed part of their working tour of the region, also sought to obtain first-hand information on the growing water crisis in the area.

Mr Bless called on the Water Resources Commission to collaborate with local assemblies to strictly enforce bylaws to curb the menace.

Tamale Water

He pledged to push for a speedy process towards the construction of the Tamale Water Project to bring relief to thousands of residents grappling with an acute water crisis in the Northern Region.

He noted that when completed, the project would significantly improve water supply to Tamale and its surrounding areas, which had long suffered from inadequate water distribution.

For his part, the Northern Regional Manager of GWL, Stephen Amihere-Mensah, indicated that the Water Treatment Plant, which was initially built in 1972, had only undergone one major expansion in 2008.

“We are still using machines installed in the 1990s, and they keep giving us problems. We cannot supply enough water for the entire population of Tamale and beyond," he said.

Background

For many years, the Tamale metropolis and its environs have faced acute water shortages, compelling residents to resort to untreated water sources for domestic purposes.

The Tamale Water System, which was initially built in 1972, has only undergone one major expansion in 2008.

The Ghana Water Limited attribute the water shortages to ageing infrastructure and a rapidly growing population that has outpaced the system’s supply capacity.

Currently, out of five pumps at the Dalun Water Treatment Plant, only two are functioning.

Tamale requires 90,000 to 95,000 cubic metres of water per day.

However, the Ghana Water Company Limited can produce 35,000 cubic metres.