Residents of Sekondi Takoradi have been battling an acute water shortage for nearly a week. The shortage has badly affected homes, several educational institutions and businesses. Consumers are unhappy with the Ghana Water Company for not alerting them before closing the taps. Residents who spoke to Maxx News say the water shortage is unacceptable particularly at a time when the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission has hiked water tariffs by 6.7%. While some areas have no water running through their taps, others have seen intermittent flows. The most affected have been roaming around in such of water for their daily chores. Some consumers who spoke to Maxx News said the service provided by the Ghana Water Company does not warrant the latest tariff increase. But the Western Regional Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited, George Mwamala has explained that the shortage was caused by a power trip that affected one of its two major pumps at the Daboase Power Plant site. He said announcements were made on two radio stations to notify consumers. According to Mr. Mwamala, the company lacks a standby generator to cater for emergencies. “We don’t have a standby generator because they are very expensive to operate. We had standby generators in the system in the past. But if we were to operate a standby generator, we will need about five drums of diesel in one hour. I don’t think we can run this for customers to pay,” he said. He however says some installation works are ongoing at the Daboase Plant and is scheduled to be completed in a week, which includes an automatic voltage regulator to ensure constant supply.