The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) recently took action to address unsanitary practices by disconnecting illegal sewer lines and closing down a public toilet located on the Graphic Road in Accra.
The public toilet was found to be discharging human waste directly into city drains.
The facility was closed on Wednesday during the Homowo clean-up exercise, an initiative led by the Ga Traditional Council in partnership with several government bodies and sanitation companies.
The Director of Waste Management at the AMA, Ing. Solomon Noi, highlighted the severe risks posed by the irresponsible management of sewage by the public toilet operators. He explained that the improper disposal could block the entire drainage system, potentially leading to flooding during heavy rainfall.
“The sewer line was laid right inside the drain, and upon tracing its source, we found it led to a public bathroom and another toilet. Both were discharging sewage directly into the drain,” he stated.
Ing. Noi emphasized that such practices not only risked blocking drains but also posed significant health hazards. He called for sewage to be directed to septic tanks for proper disposal instead of being irresponsibly discharged into public drains.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the current situation and urged for immediate corrective measures to protect public health.
“This irresponsible discharge endangers public health and must be stopped,” he noted.
In response to the violations, officials from the AMA’s public health directorate have been contacted to issue summons to the perpetrators, who will face the sanitation court.
The sewer line will be cut and used as evidence in court. Ing. Noi
