Emptying of liquid waste into lavender hill to end soon

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA – Chief Executive of Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA, Mr Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, on Thursday said emptying of liquid waste directly into the sea at Lavender Hill in Accra would be stopped by June 2012.

He said six anaerobic digesters would be built at the lavender hill to treat the waste into organic waste.

Digesters are only marginally effective at reducing problems with odours, pathogens and greenhouse gas emissions from animal waste or sewerage sluge and also used for turning sewerage treatment plants and animal waste on farms into manure.

Mr Vanderpuije announced this during a working visit to the Legon Sewerage Project site in Accra.

The Lavender Hill Project and Legon Treatment Plant seek to solve the sewerage problems in Accra.

The Accra Sewerage Improvement Project estimated at 22.5 million Ghana cedis, covers acreage of 120,000 square metres.

It is being financed by the African Development Bank and the Government of Ghana.

After completion of the project, it would serve the University of Ghana, Legon Presbyterian Boys School, the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), and in future include Haatso, East and West Legon, Okponglo and Madina.

Mr Mavengwa Manjonjo, Resident Engineer for Civil and Planning Group, briefing Mr Vanderpuije , said the project begun in September 2010 and hoped it would be completed in March 2012.

He said the project was 70 per cent complete and noted that pipelines that would carry the liquid waste from the Boys' School and IPS were being connected to the Legon Treatment Plant.

Mr Manjonjo explained that the project comprised of Sewerage Treatment Ponds, Sewers and Sewerage Pump Stations.

Mr Vanderpuije visited some Biofil toilet being constructed for some households in Accra to address the growing concern for effective and affordable management of liquid and solid household waste in the country.

Mr K. A. Anno, Chief Executive Officer of K.A. Anno Engineering Limited, said the Biofil toilet system operated on the principle of aerobic decomposition, as a 'living filter' where a habitat was created for natural organisms to break down the waste product.

It combines the benefits of traditional flush toilet system and those of the composing toilets while eliminating the drawbacks and disadvantages of both systems.

The key difference between the system and the traditional septic tank system is the rapid drainage of water from the waste stream.

Mr Vanderpuije expressed appreciation with the work done and encouraged households to take advantage of the biofil toilets.

GNA