Thousands of residents in Kyebi and neighbouring communities in the Eastern Region have been left without a regular supply of treated water following the shutdown of the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant by Ghana Water Limited (GWL) more than a year ago.
The closure was necessitated by severe pollution of the Birim River, the plant’s main source of raw water, as a result of illegal small-scale mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.
The mining activities have reportedly caused turbidity levels in the river to exceed 63 million Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) at the plant’s raw water intake point, significantly surpassing its original design capacity of 200 NTU.
The prolonged shutdown has compelled residents to seek alternative sources of water, including boreholes and wells. However, some of these alternative sources reportedly contain high levels of iron, raising further concerns about the quality of water available to affected communities.
The situation came to light last Friday when the Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr Shafiq Suleiman, paid a working visit to the treatment facility in the Eastern Region.
The shutdown highlights the growing impact of illegal mining on critical water infrastructure and the livelihoods of communities that depend on the Birim River for their water supply.
It also underscores the urgent need to address river pollution and protect the country’s water resources to ensure reliable access to safe drinking water.
