How Safe Is The Water Produced By The Ghana Water Company Limited's Weija Treatment Plant?

I despair when I look at the green-tinged water in a white pail, which I fill up every night purposely, to check the quality of the water that flows through the taps in the house I live in, near Jayee University College, at McCarthy Hill.

That green-tinged water, always reminds me of the refusal by the then managing director of the Ghana Water Company Limited - a New Patriotic Party (NPP) appointee, who was in place when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime of President Mills, came into office in January 2009 - to accept poor quality chemical inputs from an "Alhaji" businessman.

That selfish and greedy businessman used the NDC rented-press to mount a campaign of vilification against the poor aforementioned GWCL's managing director who was adamant that even if it meant losing his job, he would not compromise the quality of the drinking-water supply of the residents of Accra - by accepting those poor quality chemicals that the  "Alhaji" businessman wanted to palm off the GWCL.

I guess he must have been gotten rid of, not too long after that - judging by what I see in my white pail when I do my daily morning visual inspection. Perhaps the "Alhaji" businessman is now supplying his sub-standard Chinese-made chemicals to the GWCL?

It really is scandalous that water that ought to be crystal clear is tinged green - in 21st century Accra: and at a point not even a kilometre away from its Weija treatment plant as the crow flies. Incredible.

Can the GWCL tell us why that is so - and if they are sure that it meets the minimum World Health Organisation (WHO) standards specified for safe potable water. Is this not a city prone to cholera outbreaks, I ask, dear reader?

For public health reasons, surely, we must at least have good drinking water flowing through our taps in Ghana's capital - and elsewhere in our country? Yes, most may not drink it - but what are we supposed to wash our fruits and vegetables with, one wonders?

Perhaps the question we ought to ask is: Can the GWCL tell Accra's residents just how safe the water produced by its Weija water treatment plant, really is - and why it has a green hue?

In an age of consumer activism in Ghana, with Kofi Kapito's Consumers Association at the forefront, if the GWCL is not careful, one of these days, someone will take them to court: if they continue in this fashion.

They really must do better. Put simply, they must tell us just how safe the water from their Weija treatment plant  actually is.

Tel (Powered by Tigo - the one mobile phone network in Ghana, which actually works!): + 233 (0) 27 745 3109.