News

Teshie residents raise alarm over desalination plant

The Teshie Concerned Citizens Association (TCCA) has raised concerns about the resumption of operations of the desalination water plant arguing that the desalinated water poses danger to the health of the residents of the area.

The concerns were in response to recent reports that the closed plant was currently undergoing rehabilitation and was scheduled to resume operations this month.

However, a letter dated February 19,2019 and signed by Seth Tagoe, chairman of the TCCA and copied the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources as well as chairman of the Council of State, said the residents would embark on series of demonstrations if their concerns were not addressed.

The letter said the chemicals used in desalination could get through pure water and endanger the people who drunk it due to its acidic contents.

It stated that the chemicals used for desalination including chlorine, hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide, which were later dumped in the oceans and poison plants and animal life in the ocean, thus becomes a major environmental concern.

The letter noted that the desalination process also led to brine production which was as a result of the disposal of the left over water back into the sea, causing animals and plants to suffocate due to low oxygen levels in the water.

Another concern, it said was the negative effect of desalination on population of animals in the ocean through impingement and entrainment, which traps and kills plants, animals, eggs and many endangered species.

The letter added that in an age where energy was becoming increasingly vital, other treatment technologies were more energy efficient.

The Teshie Desalination Plant Agreement was signed between the GWCL and Befessa on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis in February 2011.

The plant was built in February 2015 to address water supply shortfalls, particularly in the Teshie-Nungua area. 

Meanwhile, the plant is undergoing a major rehabilitation for it to produce at maximum capacity.

When completed, the plant, which has been shut since January 2018, is expected to produce about 60 million litres of water per day to serve the water supply needs of more than 250,000 residents of Teshie-Nungua and surrounding communities.

By Times Reporter


Show More
Back to top button