Weija dam which is located at weija a suburb of Accra was built between 1945 and 1949. The main brain behind the building of the dam was to store water in it to enhance water supply through out the year.
The weija dam which dept is 48 fit has its main source from the Densu River, Atiwa Mountains to be precise. It travels all through to nsawam and to the atiwa mountains and then to the weija dam where it is stored.
But during the raining seasons where the water flows heavily from its source, the weija dam gate is opened to release some of the water to avoid the dam to over flow. This excess water pass through to ‘Tetegu and Botiano’ in to the sea.
The current view of part of the dam.
Currently the dam help supply water to all the western side of Accra and also according to MR. ANDREW, a supervisor there, 55 million gallons of water is produced a day from the weija dam for consumption.
The dam is situated at weija because of certain reasons which include the location of weija which is 120 fit above sea level and also the direction which the water flows is also a contributing factor, and all these aid and help the supply of water from there.
It might amaze one to know that the sight of the water stored in the dam which is processed for human consumption, is as green as the green plants and can scare one to stop consuming water from our pipes.
Speaking to one Mr. Andrews. A worker at the weija dam, he disclosed that the water passes through ten strong processes before it is release for consumption.
These ten processes he said is termed to be the ‘ten commandments’ of water processing, which are as follows: storage, screaming, aeration, quaculation,flocculation,sedimentation, clarification, filtration, sterilization, ph adjustment, softening. He further said these ten processes are well recognized by the world health organization {WHO}.
MORE CHEMICALS TO PURIFY.....
But the question asked is that why is it that the water is very dirty. And then Mr. Andrew respondes by saying that the activities of people along side the river in the various villages it pass before getting to the dam is causing a lot of havoc to the dam.
He also explained further by saying these dwellers along the river dump rubbish into it, some ease into the flowing river, other wash and even bath in it. All these human activities affect the water before it is stored in to the dam.
Not only this he also said people from weija has also used the dam as a fishing ground and some of their activities like pouring harmful chemicals into the water to kill fishes is also a contributing factor. All attempts have been made to stop this and is to no avail.
For this matter, a lot of chemical has to be used on the water before it can be clean and safe. Some of which include aluminum sulphate, chlorine gas and chlorine residual.
According to the laboratory technician at the water processing area, he said every water is checked for safety before it is distributed. “ we make sure there is no bacterial harmful to human health in the water and also check the amount of chlorine and other component to put in it that will not be harmful to human health before distribution” Mr. Emmanuel the technician says.
But the question is that despite all these processes this water pass through to clean and safe drinking, we still some times find dirt flowing with water through our pipes at home. What should we say it’s the reason?
And then Mr. QUAE also a worker there explained that, that problem mostly is from the pipe lines that carry the water through various pipes. He said because the pipe lines are old, they turn to pill off some times when the water flows through them. And other times we have burst pipe line in gutters, and for that reason the dirty gutter water can find its way into the pipe lines and flow through the various lines connected to that pipe line. “So it’s not some times our fault” he says.
Mr. Andrew also said in a conversation with him that the dept of the dam is gradually reducing as a result of the activities of people living along side the dam and other activities mentioned earlier on.
He said the construction of houses alongside the dam is making a lot of sand get into it. And because its storage is all year round, there is nothing like washing of the dam to prevent the closing in dept of the dam.
He said construction of housing structures were stop some years ago, but the past KOFOUR administration gave the go ahead of construction so that problem has not been solved yet. And if some thing is not done about it like nothing has been done to stop the fishing activities, then we should be prepared to face the quencequences.
Even currently they claim this water is safe for drinking, most people don’t deem it still safe for drinking but just domestics activities whiles others drink it.
If nothing is done to curb the negative activities of some ignorant human beings, the dirt will increase from this to a worse condition in time to come
We therefore appealing to environmental educators and the government to help curb and educate the people on the need to see and realize the harm their activities are causing to they themselves and every in the whole.
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