By Jones Anlimah
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has intensified monitoring of construction activities near the Kpeve water intake works amid concerns that the development could compromise the quality and sustainability of water supply to Ho and surrounding communities.
The PURC says it has been engaging the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the private owner undertaking the development to find a way of protecting the water source without unduly disrupting the private project.
The Executive Secretary of the PURC, Dr. Shafic Suleman, disclosed this during a working visit to the Kpeve water production facility.
According to him, the Commission’s latest visit was a follow-up to earlier engagements over activities by the contractor, who is developing a resort close to the Ghana Water intake.
He said some progress had been made following engagements with the developer, but concerns remained over the distance of the construction from the water intake.
“Unfortunately, we are still expecting the contractor to have given a 500-metre buffer zone of which he’s not yielding and has also even proceeded to construct further along the buffer zone of Ghana Water.”
Dr. Suleman said PURC was not seeking to prevent the development from taking place, acknowledging its potential economic and social benefits to the area.
He, however, urged the developer to take into account the importance of the Kpeve water source to communities in the region.
“He’s building a big resort. We know it has economic value and social implications to the community. But we are also just reminding him that he should be mindful of the source of water to the whole of Volta Region and Ho, for instance.”
The concerns come against the backdrop of an earlier warning by the Ghana Water Company Limited over the vulnerability of the Kpeve water source.
In a press release dated 15 May 2026, GWCL announced the temporary shutdown of the Kpeve Treatment Plant after extreme turbidity levels in the raw water exceeded the operational threshold for safe and effective treatment.
The company attributed the high turbidity to recent rains, which had significantly increased the movement of sediments, silt and other pollutants into the raw water source.
GWCL said the resulting turbidity levels had gone beyond the treatment capacity of the plant, making continued production technically unsafe and operationally unfeasible.
Of particular relevance to the current PURC intervention, the company expressed concern about “construction and related activities taking place dangerously close to the intake point of the Kpeve Treatment Plant.”
GWCL warned that such developments posed a serious threat to the sustainability, safety and reliability of water production in the area.
The company further stated that recreational and construction-related activities around the intake had the potential to “continuously compromise raw water quality and create recurring operational and production challenges for the treatment plant.”
It subsequently called on relevant authorities, environmental protection agencies, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to urgently intervene to protect the Kpeve water source from further encroachment and environmental degradation.
PURC assures consumers
Despite the concerns, Dr. Suleman said the current construction had not affected the production capacity of the Kpeve plant.
He said the facility has a production capacity of about 18,000 cubic metres of water per day and is currently operating almost at full capacity.
“So far, the production or the construction has not interfered with the current capacity of the plant.”
The PURC Executive Secretary said the Commission’s immediate concern was to ensure that the quality of water reaching consumers remained uncompromised.
“We are only monitoring to be sure that quality of water to the people of Ho is kept the same way as it is.”
He said PURC would continue working with Ghana Water and other stakeholders to address any emerging challenges and ensure that the interests of the wider population were protected.
“The project cannot or his resort cannot interfere with the interests of everybody within the region.”
The Commission is therefore expected to maintain engagements with the developer as it seeks compliance with the required buffer around the water intake.
For residents of Ho and surrounding communities, the issue highlights the delicate balance between private development and the protection of critical public infrastructure and water resources.
