Dr. Hanson Mensah-Akutteh, the Ashanti Regional Chief Production Manager of Ghana Water Limited (GWL), has warned that the Owabi Dam could lose its ability to supply water within a year if current siltation and pollution levels are not addressed.
According to him, the Owabi Treatment Plant is currently 75% clogged with fine sand particles and plastic waste with its significant capacity being lost. He further stressed that in the event of severe climate variability or drought, the remaining water volume may not last a full year.
Dr. Mensah-Akutteh highlighted that illegal farming and human settlements along the catchment areas have led to forest degradation, which washes soil and waste into the river course with the nearby Barekese Dam also losing 40% of its capacity to silt.
He said without dredging, it could dry up within three years under current climate conditions.
He reiterated that a national security task force is expected to be deployed to stop further encroachment and protect the water bodies with management requesting authorization from the Finance Ministry to begin urgent dredging operations while plans are underway to install three additional clarifiers at the Barekese plant to increase daily production from 30 million to 48 million gallons to help meet rising demand.
