UE/R: SOCO PROJECT FACILITATORS URGED TO WORK HARD FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT – DCE NABDAM
BY: Gladys Apuweni
The Head of the White Volta Basin of the Water Resources Commission, Jesse P. Kazapoe, has clarified that individuals seeking to drill boreholes for domestic use are not required to obtain drilling permits from the Commission, but the boreholes must be registered.
According to him, the Commission does not issue permits to individual geologists but rather to licensed drilling companies contracted to undertake borehole drilling.
Mr. Kazapoe explained that any drilling company engaged to construct a borehole must possess a valid drilling licence and have a hydrogeologist responsible for logging the well. The company is also expected to submit drilling logs and relevant test results, including pump and water quality tests, to the Commission to support the development of reliable groundwater data.
He noted that a permit becomes necessary when a borehole is commercialised, particularly when the water is sold for economic benefit.
On alternative sources of water, Mr. Kazapoe said conventional water treatment systems require significant investment because they involve abstraction, treatment and distribution infrastructure.
He therefore encouraged households to adopt rainwater harvesting by installing gutters and storage tanks to collect and utilise rainwater.
He said groundwater reserves across Ghana are generally adequate and of good quality, although some areas experience challenges associated with elevated levels of iron, manganese, fluoride and, in some cases, arsenic.
Mr. Kazapoe made the remarks during a WASH training workshop for journalists in the Upper East Region.
