Minster for Sanitation and Water Resources Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah says she is aware of malpractices going on in the management of community water systems in some communities across the country. She said to address that problem, plans are underway for Community Water and Sanitation Agency to take over and be directly responsible for water systems.
Some of the communities, according to her, fail to pay for power that they use to pump water for use.
The minister made these remarks when she was answering question posed to her by Akatsi North MP Peter Nortsu Kotoe who sought to know if there are immediate plans for expansion to ensure the community gets water regularly.
She answered that the ministry recognizes the need to improve the water and sanitation in Ave Dakpa, which has attained district capital status.
“That government through the Community Water and Sanitation Agency is preparing to take over the water supply system to rehabilitate, expand and manage same in order to meet the water demand of the people.”
Mr. Peter Nortsu Kotoe reported that power supply to the water system was cut because the community owed ECG an amount of GHC13, 832 that accumulated during the free water for COVID. He paid that amount in January for power to be restored for the water system to run. That notwithstanding, the system had developed faults and individuals in the community also donated monies to fix it.
He noted that the district assembly taking over the management of the water system is worse than when the community itself was managing it and indulged the minister to conduct an investigation into the mismanagement of the Ave Dakpa water system by the district assembly.