Piped water users within the Pramso Water Supply area in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti region are grappling with high iron water contamination.   

For over a decade now, water distributed through pipelines in the community has been heavily polluted with iron residues, with no established source of the contamination. 

Efforts by the community’s water supply service to resolve the issue through periodic flushing of water lines have only incurred financial losses to the water station. 

During deliberations at the second learning forum of the Network of Community Water Services (NETCOWAS), it emerged that the Pramso community continues to battle an age-old iron water contamination, with most households unable to consume the water.   

The community’s initial underground water source built in 2005 was shutdown nearly six years ago after a new source was constructed to help the situation but the problem persists.     

Systems Manager, Isaac Amankwaah says the community cannot construct a new water source.

“It’s high when there is no water running through the pipeline. From the various tests that we’ve conducted, it seems the iron content is usable. But the iron content is not automatically out of water. We’ve drilled two boreholes, and each of them has iron content in them. So there’s a possibility that if we drill another, we would face similar issues,” he said.

Managers at the water station developed strategies to flush water lines occasionally to reduce the chemical concentration in various households.   

Although a significant amount of the contamination has been dealt with through the process, this interim solution is rather overburdening the water station with huge electricity costs. 

“We have to let the pump machine stay on for a long time because when it’s shut off and there’s no water running through, then pipelines become dry for the iron content to be high again. It’s causing financial constraints to the system,” he added.

Experts indicate that a huge amount is required for water treatment. 

Lecturer at the Planning Department of KNUST, Professor Imoro Braimah, however, suggests immediate local solutions to prevent foreseeable health consequences. 

“There are trials within the university for water treatments. This is an area where government can come with the research institutions so that we can find ways to remove the iron contents at affordable prices,” he said.

NETCOWAS through its Water Supply and Sustainability Improvement Programme is providing support to rural town piped water services. 

President of the Association, Mpobihene Nana Owusu-Sarpong, indicated the group is setting up a capital account to procure an iron removal machinery. 

“With our sponsors, Aqua for All, we are planning to build iron removal plants so that communities that have higher iron contents can be helped,” he said.

For the time being, water users would have to resort to other domestic uses of the water source rather than consumption.