Taste of desalinated water has improved : Teshie
Contrary to media reports that residents of Teshie are complaining about their desalinated water being salty, residents of five communities in the town say the taste of the water had improved drastically.
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Most of the residents, however, said they did not drink the desalinated water, even though they maintained that the taste was better than before, adding that they used the water for several things—cooking, washing, bathing and other domestic chores.
Some residents of Gbugbla, Asesiwa, Las Cala, Camp Two and Tsui Bleoo, all communities in Teshie, told the Daily Graphic that the taste of the water was far better than it was when their taps started running seven months ago.
Over the last few months and particularly this week, there had been media reports on complaints by some residents of the coastal town, that the desalinated water which was inaugurated in April this year was salty.
Improved taste
But when the Daily Graphic visited the neighbourhoods in the community, sampled water from the running taps, traces salt were hardly found in the water; a fact that most of the residents interviewed acknowledged.
“The water used to be very salty initially but now, it is better. If this is how they will handle it now, then we will have no cause to complain,” a resident of Teshie Asesiwa, Mr Sampson Kotey Nii Quaye, said.
Another resident, Ms Vida Nmashie, shared a similar sentiment but stated that her family did not drink the water because it had for long been drinking what had become popularly known as ‘pure water’ and, therefore, could not switch over to drinking the desalinated water.
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The taste has improved considerably, it lathers well but consumes a lot of soap. But we will still want them to improve it further,” she said.
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Michael Nii Quaye, who is a sachet water producer, said he initially produced the water, using the desalinated water, but it was not well patronised so he had to stop.
“Now, the taste is far better than it was initially. We are pleading with them to put in more effort to improve it further, so we can use it for our business,” he added.
At Teshie Gbugbla, Ms Gifty Martey, however, said the taste of the water differed over the period. Sometimes, she said it tasted like water from Kpong, only for it to get a little salty again.
She, however, admitted that the taste was better than before.
At Teshie Las Cala, two residents, Mrs Gladys Asuman and Mrs Mavis Attipoe, said the desalinated water was a major relief.
“I don’t think there is any problem with that water. It lathers well and tastes good. If I wake up in the middle of the night, that is what I drink when I feel thirsty.
There was a problem when supply started, but I can confidently say it is now better,” Mrs Attipoe said.
The story was no different at Teshie Tsui Bleoo, where Ms Adjeley Peach told the Daily Graphic that although she did not drink the water regularly, the taste was not bad.
At Teshie Camp Two, Mr Daniel Odoi applauded the government for the water supply to the area and what he said was the considerable change in the taste.
He, however appealed for improvement in the flow of the water, claiming that sometimes, the water stopped flowing for two weeks.
Beneficiary communities
The $115 million Teshie-Nungua Desalination Water Project which is on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) system, is projected to serve about 500,000 people in Nungua and Teshie and their environs.
Other areas supplied with the water are Batsoonaa, Sakumono, Regional Maritime University, Wajir Barracks, Military Academy and Training School (MATS), La Tse Ado and the Trade Fair area.
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It is projected to pump 13 million gallons of water every day to homes and businesses in the catchment area, ending 25 years of water challenges in the area.
Hourly testing of the water by the Ghana Water company Limited’s (GWCL’s) quality control department, had shown that the water is not salty.
The Public Relations officer of GWCL, Mr Michael Agyeman, had in an earlier interview with the Daily Graphic said the attributes of the water produced by the plant, according to all the quality control tests, fell within the national standards and there was, therefore, no cause for alarm.
Writer’s email:seth.bokpe@graphic.com.gh