The Ghana Water Company has been on the verge of shutting down operations in the Ashanti Region due to the activities of illegal mining.
The cost involved in treating water, according to the company, is taking a toll on its finances.
Regional Chief Manager, Ashanti Production, Dr. Hanson Mensah, says the company has had to spend more on new chemicals for treating water to be able to maintain standards for human consumption.
“We were first using aluminum sulphate which is called ‘Alum’ which after the process, you will get your clean water. But the Alum is not able to treat the water anymore which almost made us shut down our pumps,” Dr. Mensah told Kwadwo Jantua on Nhyira FM’s Kuro Yi Mu Nsem programme.
“We have to serve Ghana so we have bought polymer which is an advanced form of Alum and it is ten times more expensive than the alum. It is too expensive for us. If it gets to a time when the polymer is not able to treat the water, we may have to shut all our plants down which means no one gets water.”
The Barekese and Owabi Dams serve the water needs of Greater Kumasi.
The turbidity of water has risen from 200 to 15,000 in quantity of fake loads to be removed from the water at most galamsey prone areas.
“When you mention galamsey I get scared. It is like an act of terrorism that some people are using to sabotage us. Sometimes I ask myself if the people involved do think about the people of the country or they want us all to die. The water bodies have been destroyed which is so worrying,” said Dr. Mensah.
He likened galamsey menace to acts of terrorism, which is sabotaging the Ghana Water Company in meeting the water needs of the population.
“Three of our pumps have been destroyed which need to be replaced because they pump mud instead of water. We shouldn’t condone illegal mining at all,” he stated.