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16.01.2020 Headlines

Confirmed! Tap Water Safe For Drinking Following Tano River Pollution

Confirmed! Tap Water Safe For Drinking Following Tano River Pollution
16.01.2020 LISTEN

The panic and fears of residents of Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions as well as the general public, following the contamination of the Tano River, have been allayed by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

According to the GWCL, the contamination of the Tano River has no effect on the water that it treats and pumps into homes.

The Ghana Water is assuring that water flowing through their taps is safe for consumption.

The contamination of the Tano River is as a result of an accident which occurred on January 13, 2020.

“Management wishes to assure the general public, that GWCL Experts are working together with the Water Resources Commission, NADMO and the District Assembly to bring the situation to normalcy and that, there is no need for any anxiety in consuming water that flows through the tap,” a statement from the water company added.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had earlier advised all communities along the Tano River from Techiman – Tanoso in the Bono East Region to Chiraa in the Bono Region and Duayaw Nkwanta and Bechem in the Ahafo Region not to drink from the river until further notice because the water has been poisoned.

A press statement signed by the Offinso North District Director of NADMO, Elijah Mamos explained the directive had become necessary as a result of an accident that involved an articulated truck that was carrying vehicle batteries.

The vehicle plunged into the river at Tanoso in the Bono East Region.

As a result of the accident, the acid in the batteries washed into the water and culminated in the death of several aquatic animals including fishes and crocodiles among others.

“We are by this urging all to carry the message to the target communities/people along the Tano river bank to save human lives”. Below is the full statement from the GWCL: GWCL ASSURES PUBLIC OF SAFETY OF PIPE BORNE WATER

The Management of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) assures consumers in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions as well as the general public that water that flows through the taps in their homes is safe for consumption.

The panic in the above-stated regions which is as a result of the contaminated Tano River due to the accident which occurred on the 13th of January 2020, has no effect on the water that GWCL treats and pumps into their homes.

Management assures all that due to the stringent production processes the company employs in water treatment, water treated by GWCL meets the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) standards before it is pumped into the system for consumption.

All GWCL treatment plants are equipped with standard and in some locations, state-of-the-art laboratories, and as part of the treatment process, the pH of the raw water is tested at source, during the treatment process and ultimately the final clear water which is finally pumped for consumption.

The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pH testing is hourly on a daily basis but has currently been reduced to 30 minutes due to the current situation and also under 24-hour surveillance.

The pH test is done to check the acidity and or basicity of any solution. GWCL as part of the treatment processes, stock hydrated lime in all its treatment plants which is used in correcting the pH in the event where it is low or high.

The management wishes to assure the general public, that GWCL Experts are working together with the Water Resources Commission, NADMO and the District Assembly to bring the situation to normalcy and that, there is no need for any anxiety in consuming water that flows through the tap.

---CitinewsRoom

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