Tamale (N/R), Feb 2,  GNA – Acute water shortage has hit parts of the Tamale Metropolis compelling residents to resort to other sources of water for domestic and other activities.

The shortage, which started about two weeks ago, has made water tanker drivers to cash-in on the situation, selling a bucket of water at GHc1.

Mr William Akpai, Tamale District Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) told the Ghana News Agency on Thursday that two of the company’s pumping machines at its Dalun Treatment Plant  broke down two weeks ago resulting in a 60 per cent shortfall in daily supply of water to the residents.

Mr Akpai said the problem seemed to have gone beyond the expertise of engineers at the Dalun Treatment Plant since “anytime they fix and test-run it, the problem persists and we do not know why”.

He said the problem had also led to a reduced pressure at the facility making the remaining 40 per cent production to reach only low-lying parts of the metropolis.

He said GWCL could not assure residents as to when to expect their taps to flow and appealed to them to bear with the company.

Asked why residents were not informed about the situation, Mr Akpai said it was the duty of the GWCL’s communication outfit to inform the residents, adding the communication officers had been ineffective.

GNA has learnt that similar problem occurred in February last year and lasted for an entire month making GWCL not to bill most consumers in the metropolis for the month of February 2011.

GNA