Four-year water crisis deepens hardship in Agbozume

Residents of Agbozume and surrounding communities in the Ketu South Municipality have endured severe water shortages for about four years, forcing many to travel to other towns to purchase water for domestic use.

The situation, according to residents, has increased the cost of living as households are compelled to hire motor tricycles, popularly known as “Aboboyaa,” to transport water from distant communities.

The prolonged water crisis is also affecting schools, health facilities and workers who require regular access to water to carry out their activities.

Mr Dan Jerry Sorokpo, a citizen of Agbozume, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), described the situation as a serious hardship for residents and appealed to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to urgently engage the community on efforts to restore the water system.

He said the Agbozume Community Borehole, which was constructed by a corporate organisation and later handed over to stakeholders in the community for management by GWCL, collapsed in mid-2023 during a period of heavy rainfall and flooding.

According to him, the collapse brought operations of the Agbozume Water System to a halt, leaving residents without a reliable public water supply.

Mr Sorokpo said although the GWCL drilled several new boreholes in mid-2024 in an attempt to address the situation, the efforts had so far not resulted in the restoration of water supply.

He expressed concern that residents and other stakeholders had not received official communication from the Company on the status of the water system or the challenges preventing its restoration.

Mr Sorokpo said residents were now spending significant amounts of money to buy and transport water from other communities, placing additional financial pressure on households.

He said the situation was particularly difficult for clinics, Community Health Centres and schools, where water was essential for sanitation and the effective delivery of services.

The water shortage, he added, was also affecting workers in the town, with some reportedly seeking transfers because of the difficulty in accessing water.

Mr Sorokpo has therefore petitioned the Volta Regional Manager of GWCL to organise a stakeholder town hall meeting involving customers, traditional leaders, workers and residents of Agbozume.

He said the engagement would provide an opportunity for GWCL to brief the community on the current status of the water system, challenges facing its restoration and the way forward.

Mr Sorokpo said such an engagement would also help restore confidence among residents and provide clarity on efforts to resolve the prolonged water crisis.

Copies of the petition were sent to the Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs; the Managing Director of GWCL; the Manager of GWCL at Aflao/Agbozume; the Volta Regional Minister; the Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South and Torgbiga Adamah III, President and Paramount Chief of the Somè Traditional Council.

Source: GNA