The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has denied claims that it used expired chemicals to treat water for public consumption.
Reports
that the Water Company had introduced expired Aluminium Sulphate into
the Weija dam for distribution went viral in the media over the week but
the company has categorically distanced itself from the reports,
stating that the chemical is still undergoing series of tests.
Public
Relations Director of the GWCL, Stanley Martey allayed fears that the
country’s water systems have been polluted for consumption by Ghanaians,
saying the consignment of the chemical was seized for critical
scrutiny.
An Aluminium Sulphate imported from China by the Ghana
Urban Water Company to distil tap water was reported to have expired in
June last year raising serious questions about its effectiveness.
Critics believed the expired Alum would create health problems for consumers and called for public queries into the issue.
Speaking
in an interview with Peace FM on the “kokrokoo” programme, Stanley
Martey explained the circumstances that led to the importation of the
chemical into the country.
“We have processes you follow to
import chemicals into the country. This process kept long, so, we even
encountered some challenges at the Harbour. So, we realized that the
expiry date was due. So, the standard board checked the efficacy or the
potency of the chemical and they told us that although the expiry date
was due, the chemical was still efficacious or potent to be used. So,
they released the chemical.
“But when the chemical came to our
place at the warehouse…I still will not be myself if I have to see
expired product being introduced into water production because you
consume water directly into your body. So, we just invited National
Security to help us so that we clear that chemical; that particular
consignment [it was just one batch, that particular chemical] out of the
warehouse. That was what happened. So, we haven’t gotten to that point
that we are going to use the product,” he told the host.
He added
that though the chemical was stalled at the Port for almost 10 months,
the chemical did not expire in June, 2011 because; “that is the date for
manufacturing. The manufacturing date is June 2011, so, it wasn’t
possible that the product which is from China will arrive in Ghana on
the date that it was manufactured. It is not possible. So, we were
doubtful about the product. So, we needed to do some investigations; so,
we had to isolate the product.”
Mr. Martey noted that the
chemical was taken through some tests and upon realizing the expiry date
of the product; the company has rejected the usage of the chemical.
He
said; “The life span of the product in the container…means between the
manufacturing date and the expiry date is just one year, which itself is
not clear to us. Because even from the manufacturer’s end through
bagging and through shipment to Ghana could take over 6 months…We buy
the chemicals in bulk, sometimes for a whole year or we make an order
for a 2-year consignment and they are delivered in batches.”
“So,
for them (CEPS and Ghana Standard Board) to have released means there
was nothing wrong with the product. It was potent and efficacious to be
used, except that we needed to do more checks on when the thing got to
us. The thing got to us just a day before yesterday, and they started to
deliver. And that’s when we also called in National Security, so, it
didn’t even spend two-three days at our warehouse. It was in process of
review and we stopped them.”
According to him, there’s no cause
for alarm because the Managers of Ghana’s water distribution system
“haven’t used it and there’s no way that we will use it until we are
cleared with all these things. When we clear all these things, and we
can use it, then we will. But at this time; no, we’re not clear in our
minds…So, there’s no way we’ll compromise on that one. If we do anything
like that, look at the revenue we’re going to lose…there’s no way we’ll
compromise on that one.”
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