The Owabi and Barekese Water Treatment Plants, which supply potable water to Greater Kumasi and surrounding communities in the Ashanti Region, face an imminent shutdown threat due to worsening pollution and persistent power supply challenges.

The two major facilities are grappling with heavy siltation, plastic pollution and erratic electricity supply—conditions management says are severely undermining operations and threatening water production.

During a recent visit, Channel One News observed a Ghana Water Limited (GWL) staff member removing plastic waste that had accumulated in the Owabi Dam, highlighting the scale of the pollution problem.

The Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited, Adam Mutawakilu, who toured the facility, commended the effort but expressed concern over the deteriorating conditions.

“Last month, we couldn’t meet our target. We fell short by almost 959 cubic metres of water, and that is huge,” he said.

The Owabi Treatment Plant, which has a production capacity of about 36 million gallons per day, is battling both plastic waste contamination and extensive siltation.

Similarly, the Barekese Treatment Plant, which has the same production capacity, is also under pressure due to frequent power fluctuations and rising silt levels affecting operations.

The Ashanti Production Manager of GWL, Dr Hanson Mensah-Akutteh, explained that unstable electricity supply is significantly affecting output.

“Currently, our operational stability is being jeopardised because of the power fluctuations that we have. Sometimes we only run 14 hours instead of 24 hours. We are losing about 84% of our operations, and that alone is impacting our production volumes,” he said.

Mr Mutawakilu noted that the challenges are directly affecting water supply targets across the region.

He disclosed that urgent interventions are being pursued to address the situation, including steps to secure authorisation from the Ministry of Finance to commence dredging works to restore operational efficiency.

He also engaged the staff of Ghana Water Limited during the visit, urging improved efficiency and stronger operational coordination to safeguard the water supply.