The Ghana Water Company Limited in the Central Region says its production cost has increased as a result of galamsey activities at the Sekyere Heman Treatment Plant.
The life span of pumps does not last because the company is forced to replace them regularly.
Management fears the country may import water for consumption if the activities persist.
The Sekyere Hemang Treatment Plant of the Ghana Water Company Limited which lies between the Western and Central Regions supplies water to over 50 communities including Mfantsiman, KEEA area, parts of Cape Coast North and South in the Central Region.
The plant was established in 2008 by then-President, John Agyekum Kufuor, as part of efforts to supply potable drinking water to communities in the region.
Authorities say the negative effects of illegal mining popularly known as galamsey is having an effect on their operations as equipment that have a life span of 30 years have been replaced.
They say silt build-up at the intake point has pushed them to, on a monthly basis, go into the intake sump to manually desist it to make water accessible at the intake point for onward action.
The company fears if care is not taken, the country might import water for consumption.
Opoku Ware Darko, the Regional Production Manager for the Ghana Water Company Limited, spoke to Citi News about the challenges.
“The effect of galamsey in terms of production cost has doubled. The galamsey is also having serious effects on equipment. We are losing most of our equipment in no time”, he said,
Communities within the Sekyere Heman enclave have resorted to the drinking of sachet water since the Pra River they drink from is contaminated.
Others also depend on dug-out wells for survival.
Farmers also lament the lack of water to grow their crops, given the pollution.
Abusapanyin of the Sekyere state Nana Wereko Ampem lamented the difficulties in fighting this menace, traditional authorities have on several occasions received death treat from illegal miners.
The Ghana Water Company Limited says it has been forced to pilot a new coagulant as a result of the current nature of the water, which comes at a huge cost to the company.
“Previously, we were using Aluminium Sulphate but because of the pollution we are reading high colour and turbidity levels so by removing it, we need to quadruple whatever quantity of chemicals we need which comes with a cost. Even with that, we have introduced a new coagulant which can remove the turbidity better than the alum. Its cost is four times higher than the alum”, says Manuel Kofi Tetteh, Regional Water Quality Assurance Manager for the Central Region.
