Speaking during a media engagement in the Western Region, PURC Executive Secretary, Dr Shafic Suleman, said the Commission will engage the Ministry of Roads and Highways, contracto
The report indicates that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) is set to bring road contractors and utility service providers together to address the growing damage to water and other utility infrastructure during road construction.
It further notes that the move follows concerns over major pipelines and other facilities being interfered with in parts of the country as government intensifies road construction under the Big Push programme.
Speaking during a media engagement in the Western Region, PURC Executive Secretary, Dr Shafic Suleman, stated the Commission will engage the Ministry of Roads and Highways, contractors and utility providers to find a more proactive approach to protecting critical infrastructure.
He stated utility providers will be required to make maps showing major transmission and distribution lines and pipelines available to contractors to guide construction activities.
“We’ll require the utility service providers to make available to the contractors all the maps that indicate all major pipelines, including transmission and distribution lines, to the contractors, so that they will use it as a guide in their construction activities.”
Dr Suleman stated contractors who damage critical utility infrastructure despite having access to the relevant information could be made to bear the cost of restoring services.
He stated PURC would provide a platform for affected utility companies to restore services while ensuring that the contractor responsible pays for the repairs.
The PURC Executive Secretary also urged consumers whose water or electricity supply is disrupted by construction activities to report the matter to the Commission.
He stated the Commission has already received and resolved some complaints and has communicated with the Ministry of Roads and Highways on the need for contractors to protect utility installations.
The PURC delegation also visited the Daboase Water Treatment Plant, where a €70-million expansion project is nearing completion.
The new facility is expected to significantly increase water production for the Sekondi-Takoradi area and surrounding communities.
Project documents indicate that the new treatment plant has a design capacity of 100,000 cubic metres of water per day, equivalent to about 22 million gallons daily.
Dr Suleman stated the completion of the facility could significantly improve water supply in Takoradi and Sekondi, although challenges with transmission pipelines remain.
He stated Ghana Water has given assurances that the pipeline linking the Daboase plant to the twin cities will also be expanded as part of the second phase of the project.
