The GNA leant that of the about 59 per cent of water that the GWCL produced for consumers in Accra and Tema, Sachet/Bottle producers alone, export close to 20 percent outside to neighbouring Togo, Benin and Cote d'Ivoire.
Besides, they are also said to transport water produced to consumers to regions such as the Ashanti, Western, Central and Eastern regions even though these areas have their own water treatment plants, which at end make it impossible to meet the water demand for Accra and Tema.
Corroborating these revelations on Monday, Mr Michael Agyeman, the Public Relations Manager of GWCL explained that the sachet/bottle water producers as well as the breweries have become major consumers and buyers of water due to their business and commercial activities.
He said apart from storing large volumes of water for production, they also keep large quantities of manufactured sachet and bottle water at their factories.
"These companies used GWCL treated water from Weija and Kpong Treatment Plants meant for consumers in Accra and Tema Metropolis to produce their sachet/bottle water and store large quantities of them while homes go in search of water for their domestic activities.
"If these producers, who make huge profits, are allowed to produce their sachet and bottle mineral water from their own water sources other than from the GWCL treated water, there will be enough water in Accra and Tema to meet the growing demand," he suggested.
Mr Agyeman said some of the producers have the capacity to treat their own water from water bodies or river sources which when they do, would improve the water situation in the country.
Water demand in Accra Metropolis alone currently is about 150 million gallons a day, but only about 59 percent of this is produced to consumers.
Asked whether GWCL could do anything about the situation, he said, it was impossible for the company to stop the producers because no law debarred them from exporting the water.
However, he said, in the interest of consumers it should be something that should be considered otherwise the situation could get out of hand in the near future.
GNA
