The Western Regional Public Relations Officer of Ghana Water Company Limited, Nana Yaw Bannie, has lamented on the increasing cost of treating the Bonsa River due to galamsey.
Ghana Water Company relies on the Bonsa River to supply portable water to Tarkwa Nsuame Municipality and its catchment areas.
According to him, the pollution of water bodies through the activities of illegal miners has increased the quantity of Alum content required to treat the water.
The alum content required for the treatment of the Bonsa River has now increased from 10bags to 40 bags before a household can have access to quality and safe water for domestic consumption.
He spoke to Spice News on this worrying trend.
“The activities of Galamsey have increased our cost of production. Bonsa River on a normal day required 10bags of Alum but due to the increasing activities of illegal miners, it now requires 40bag to make the water safe for consumption”
He noted that one of the dangers the condition poses to the company is the increasing cost of maintenance. He justifies this assertion with regular breakdown and repair of water treatment machines.
‘‘Due to the increasing degree of pollution of the river and the strain on our water treatment plants, we experience regular breakdowns which call for regular repair and maintenance hence the increase in cost of production”. The situation he said is very worrying.
Mr. Yaw Bennie advised that the country might run into water shortage in the nearest future if illegal mining continues.
“It may get to a time the water will be untreatable”, he bemoaned. This means that the water will be polluted to a state where it cannot be treated for human consumption.
The Director for Natural Resources at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Cark Fiati, recently advised the government to bring the activities of illegal miners under control otherwise Ghana will soon begin importing water from neighboring countries.
The Western Regional PRO for Ghana Water Company Limited was hopeful that the president’s recent consultative dialogue on the Small Scale Mining Sector will finally resolve the issues of galamsey.
Written by Kwame Offei
