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Aveyime c’nity water pumping station in danger …as sand winners scoop sand around it

Water supply to a population of more than 160,000 in 163 communities in six districts in the Greater Accra and Volta regions will soon be cut off if activities of sand winners close to the Aveyime community water pumping station are not stopped.

The sand winners have dredged so much sand that the earth materials surrounding the water intake pump have started caving in, leaving sinking sand and deep gullies around the facility.

The pumping station supply water to communities in the Ada East, Ada West, Ningo-Prampram, North and Central Tongu and Shai Osudoku Districts.

This came to light during the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, (CWSA) tour of the facility on Friday aimed at sensitising the media on the effects of the reforms initiated in 2017 by the agency.

The reforms sought to transform CWSA into a unity organisation.

When the team got to Aveyime, the sand winners were visible some 50 metres away from the intake with holes and deep cracks on the paved floor while the sand sinks when stepped unto.

The Water and Sanitation Engineer of CWSA, Angela Heyford told the team that the pumping station was constructed in 2007 as part of the three district water scheme, managed by the community and supervised by the assembly.

The facility, she explained, collapsed after years of mismanagement leaving behind a debt of GH¢270,000.

Ms Heyford stated that the CWSA following the reforms in 2017 took a decision to revive the facility and expanded the beneficiary districts to six.

She indicated that a grant of Gh¢3million has also been approved to completely over haul operations of the facility only for the sand winners to emerge threatening the plans put in place to expand operations, adding that a surveyor have been contacted to look at the extent of damage and advice management accordingly.

The system manager in charge of production, David Yaotse Agbavor, said the facility currently produces more than 200,000 gallons a day and management have started replacing worn out equipment.

He said plans are far advanced to procure a new plant, replace the sedimentation and filtration tanks,three new pumping machines, smoke detectors, control systems and panels, construction of new chlorine room as well as six high lift pumps.

Mr Agbavor indicated that all old cables and pressure gauges would be replaced as well as the creating of new outlet channels.

He indicated that the issue of sand winning is being handled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and prayed that the issue would be handled effectively to protect the facility from destruction.

In related development, five communities in the La Nkwantanang Municipality in the Greater Accra Region are to benefit from a GH¢3.7 million water expansion project that would increase their water supply from 84,000 to 950,000 gallons.

The communities are, Damfa, Ayimensa Otinibi, Akweteyman and Adoteiman.

The eight-month project which has commenced is expected to be completed in February next year.

BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU

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