The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has threatened to increase water tariffs if the illicit mining operations along Ghana’s water bodies—commonly referred to as “galamsey”—are not completely addressed.
According to the utility regulator, the highly contaminated waters were forcing the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to increase their operating costs by nearly tenfold as a result of the activities.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the state of water security, Mr. Philip Agbezudor, the Volta Regional Director of PURC, revealed the suggestion amid worries over galamsey activities that have contaminated the majority of the nation’s major water bodies.
“Due to how hard they are, these chemicals should not be an option, but it has become necessary due to the high level of pollution in our rivers,” he said, bringing up health worries about the usage of the new chemicals. “The more pollution, the higher they treat it to being neutralization.”
Unlike in the past when rivers were clean, Mr. Agbezudor claimed that the current state of affairs was harming their equipment, which needed regular repairs. He also blamed improper practices for the failure of several water treatment plants around the nation.
Additionally, Mr. Agbezudor disclosed that the activities have raised the water supply firms’ production costs, which has a negative impact on the prices that customers must pay.
He claimed that the circumstances presented a dangerous threat to Ghana’s water security and needs urgent call to action.
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