Community 25 residents demand urgent action over prolonged water crisis

Residents of Community 25 near Tema in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality of the Greater Accra Region are demanding urgent intervention over what they describe as an unbearable water crisis, with some households reportedly going months and, in some cases, up to a year without a reliable supply.

Eric Martey, an executive member of the Community 25 Residents Association, said the situation had become particularly troubling following repair works announced by the Ghana Water Limited on the community’s pipelines.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Wednesday, October 7, Mr Martey said residents had not received a single drop of water through their dedicated line since the repairs were completed about two months ago.

He said while some residents last had water about two months ago, others had endured shortages for as long as a year.

According to him, residents had paid for a dedicated water line, but the arrangement had failed to translate into a dependable supply.

Mr Martey warned that the shortage posed more than just an inconvenience, particularly because several major installations and fuel storage facilities are located in the area.

He said all fire hydrants in the community were dry, raising fears about the potential consequences of a fire outbreak.

“We are sitting on a tinderbox,” he said, warning that a major fire could have devastating consequences if there was insufficient water to fight it.

Mr Martey said residents had engaged Ghana Water Limited over the shortage, including meeting on September 14, after earlier attempts to secure an appointment allegedly received no response.

He said residents eventually visited the company without an appointment and were surprised that officials appeared surprised by their presence.

According to him, Ghana Water officials later cited inadequate water pressure as a reason for the failure to supply Community 25.

But Mr Martey questioned the explanation, noting that Communities 1, 2 and 3 reportedly continue to receive regular supply despite being farther from the Ashaiman booster station.

He said the residents therefore found the explanation difficult to reconcile with the geographical location of the communities.

The residents’ association executive also raised allegations of possible interference with the community’s water supply.

He claimed residents had information suggesting that some Ghana Water workers may have interests in water-tanker businesses and could be shutting valves to maintain demand for tanker services.

Mr Martey stressed that these were concerns based on information available to the residents and called for the relevant authorities to investigate.

He also alleged that water lines serving bottled-water producers in the area had been tapped, raising questions about whether water intended for residents was being diverted.

The prolonged shortage has forced residents to depend heavily on water tankers, but Mr Martey said this had created another concern: the quality of water being supplied.

He recounted an incident involving water purchased from a tanker which, he said, turned green after being stored for three days.

The incident, according to him, left residents worried about the safety of the water they are being forced to rely on.

“Is this what we are supposed to be drinking?” he asked, questioning whether residents should have to endure such conditions.

Mr Martey said the situation had left residents frustrated and increasingly dependent on tanker operators for their daily water needs.

He said households now have to place orders and wait for deliveries, with some receiving water the following day while others may have to wait for up to two days.

He appealed to the authorities to intervene immediately to restore a reliable water supply to Community 25 and address the concerns raised by residents.

“We cannot continue to live like this,” he said, describing the situation as exhausting and frustrating.