The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has clarified that the water released from the Weija Dam on Tuesday, September 8, was only a trial of the spill gates, with the actual spilla
The report indicates that the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has clarified that the water released from the Weija Dam on Tuesday, September 8, was only a trial of the spill gates, with the actual spillage beginning at 6 am on Wednesday, September 9.
It further notes that head of Public Relations and Communications at GWL, Stanley Martey, stated the trial was conducted to ensure the dam’s hydraulic spill gates were functioning properly before the commencement of the actual spillage.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, Mr Martey explained that although water was seen being released from the dam on Tuesday, the exercise was not the official start of the spillage.
“The actual spillage has begun this morning at 6 am,” he said.
Mr Martey’s clarification followed reports that the spillage had already started on Tuesday, despite GWCL’s communication indicating that it would begin on Wednesday.
When asked what had changed, he explained that the difference was largely technical.
“Yesterday we tested the gates, and everything, but actual spillage started this morning,” he said.
He stated the spill gates, which are hydraulic, need to be tested before they are fully deployed to ensure they can operate effectively when required.
“It’s just a trial for the spill gate. As I said, they are hydraulic gates,” Mr Martey explained.
“So we need to try them because sometimes they get stuck. Sometimes it’s time that we need them to operate.”
According to him, testing the gates ahead of the actual spillage is necessary because a malfunction at the point when the gates are urgently needed could create problems.
“Before anything, you need to do some trials, something like that, so that you are sure that any time you want to open a gate, you want the gate to be functioning effectively,” he said.
Mr Martey also explained why the dam is experiencing another spillage this year, following the previous exercise in May.
He stated there was no rule requiring the Weija Dam to spill only once a year, explaining that the frequency depends largely on the amount of water flowing into the dam from upstream.
