Work on the 25.8 million Euros expansion of the Baifikrom Water Treatment Plant at Baifikrom near Mankessim in the Central Region is expected to begin this month.

The project being funded by the Dutch Government includes, construction of a new 2.5 million gallons treatment plant, laying of 32.5 transmission mains, 55 distribution pipes, provision of 100 standpipes and a 750,000 gallons capacity reservoir.

Mr Tom Sedelaar, Project Manager of Messer Spaans, Babcock BV, the Dutch company, undertaking the project announced this when members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing paid a day's working visit to the site to ascertain the progress of work at Baifikrom on Monday.

The committee led by Mr Brandford Daniel Kwame Adu, the Vice-Chairman also visited Kwanyaku and Winneba Water Treatment Plants on their operations to the beneficiary communities.

Mr Sedelaar said clearing of the land to construct the treatment plant, reservoir and laying of pipes were in progress and gave the assurance that actual work on the project would begin by the end of the month.

Mr Adu expressed appreciation for the progress of work and was optimistic that the project would be completed on schedule to provide the people within the three beneficiary districts with potable water.

He noted that the perennial water problem in the Central Region would be over with the progress of work on the Kwanyaku and Winneba water treatment plants.

Mr Adu appealed to other contractors undertaking water projects in the Eastern, Western, Brong-Ahafo and Northern regions to accelerate the pace of their work to reduce the outbreak of water borne diseases in the country.

Mr Kwaku Dovolo, Central Regional Director of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) said the acute water problems in the region would be solved with the completion of water treatment projects at Sekyere-Heman, Baifikrom, Kwanyaku and Winneba.

He said rehabilitation of old treatment plants and replacement of pipelines would help reduce leakage on the transmission lines.

The Baifikrom project expected to be completed in October 2008, would serve 23 communities in the Mfantseman, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam and Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa Districts.

The old treatment plant was constructed in 1978 and has irregular and inadequate water supply due to obsolete equipment and treatment plant structures that produces 300,000 gallons of water a day instead of the required 500,000 gallons a day with the increase in population.

Source: GNA