Across Ghana, a crisis is quietly brewing beneath the surface of its rivers and in the pipes that deliver water to millions of homes. The culprit? Galamsey—illegal gold mining—has transformed once-pristine waterways into murky conduits of pollution, threatening not just the country’s environment but the health and safety of its people. Despite government crackdowns and rising public alarm, the water flowing from Ghana’s taps is increasingly at risk of carrying more than just the promise of refreshment.
According to operational reports from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), the country’s major river basins—Pra, Birim, Ankobra, Tano, and Offin—are now so heavily contaminated that turbidity levels at some intake points are tens of thousands of times higher than what treatment plants were designed to handle. This pollution, driven by the relentless activities of galamsey miners, is overwhelming water treatment facilities and pushing them to the brink of failure.
The consequences are stark. Treatment plants in the Central, Western, Eastern, and Ashanti Regions have been forced to reduce output or shut down entirely when the incoming water becomes “untreatable” under current conditions. The GWCL is battling unprecedented operational challenges: filters clog rapidly, chemicals are used in emergency doses, and energy costs are soaring as plants attempt to keep up with the pollution load. These are not mere technical hiccups—they’re red flags, signaling that the country’s water infrastructure is buckling under the strain.
But the real question lingering in the minds of Ghanaians is simple: Is the water safe to drink? Increasingly, the answer is uncertain. While GWCL plants strive to meet microbial and chemical standards, the reality is that extreme turbidity and mining-derived contaminants make this achievement both difficult and inconsistent. According to GWCL’s own filings, the risks are mounting:
- Fine mineral particles may pass through treatment barriers
- Heavy-metal residues from mining activities may not be fully removed
- High turbidity can reduce the effectiveness of chlorine, compromising disinfection
- Intermittent supply increases the risk of contamination within pipelines
Households across the country have reported discoloured water, sediment deposits, and unusual tastes—clear signs that pollutants may be slipping past treatment. International standards, including those from the World Health Organization, emphasize that safe drinking water must not only be free from pathogens but also show consistently low turbidity and minimal presence of metals or industrial contaminants. Ghana’s treatment plants are struggling to meet these thresholds, and public health is now at risk.
The government has not been idle. Anti-galamsey operations have intensified, with law enforcement agencies deployed to combat illegal mining and prosecute offenders. However, as Prince Amoako-Atta, an environmental science student and member of the Environmental Science and Students Association, wrote in ModernGhana, “The government must take immediate action to stop Galamsey activities. This can be achieved through strengthening law enforcement, providing alternative livelihoods, rehabilitating affected areas, and raising public awareness about the dangers of galamsey.” Yet, experts warn that these efforts, while critical, are not enough on their own. The polluted water in Ghanaian rivers must still be treated today, long before the rivers can heal.
What’s needed, say water sector professionals and environmental advocates, is a parallel emergency response focused squarely on water safety. Without aggressive investment in infrastructure upgrades—such as high-capacity pre-sedimentation systems, lamella clarifiers, modern flocculation units, dual-media or membrane filtration, automated monitoring, and upgraded sludge handling—Ghana’s treatment plants simply cannot cope with the new reality of polluted rivers. As one operational assessment put it, “Without these, Ghana’s treatment plants cannot cope with the new reality of polluted rivers.”
The stakes are high, and the risks are not hypothetical. Around the world, countries have paid a heavy price for ignoring the warning signs of water pollution. The infamous Minamata Disease in Japan, caused by mercury discharged into Minamata Bay, led to a devastating health crisis with severe neurological disease and birth defects. The Ok Tedi disaster in Papua New Guinea saw mine waste destroy river ecosystems and displace entire communities. In Romania, the Baia Mare cyanide spill contaminated major rivers and threatened drinking water for millions. And in South America, research in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia has shown that small-scale gold mining can cause chronic heavy-metal exposure, with levels of arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, and manganese far above safe thresholds.
Ghana is now approaching a similar health emergency. The combination of uncontrolled river pollution, overstretched treatment machinery, untreated mineral particles in tap water, inconsistent compliance with turbidity standards, and increasing shutdowns of GWCL plants points to a nation standing on the edge of a preventable tragedy.
Local communities, especially those near mining zones, have borne the brunt of this crisis. Many have been forced to abandon their farms and homes due to environmental destruction, with increased cases of mercury poisoning and other waterborne diseases reported. The use of toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide in galamsey operations has polluted not just rivers and streams, but also underground water sources, posing a grave threat to both aquatic life and human health. The destruction of forests has further contributed to soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and even climate change—compounding the crisis and making recovery even more difficult.
Public trust in Ghana’s water system hinges on transparency and accountability. Experts urge GWCL and regulators to publish turbidity readings at intakes and treatment outputs, heavy-metal test results, maps showing pollution hotspots, and regular reports on plant shutdowns and their causes. “Public trust depends on full transparency,” states a GWCL report. Without open communication, rumors and fear can spread faster than solutions, undermining efforts to address the crisis.
So what should be done? The path forward is clear, if daunting. First, GWCL’s water-treatment machinery must be urgently upgraded to handle the new pollution loads. Second, water safety must be treated as a public-health priority, with the same urgency as outbreaks of cholera or pandemics. Third, water-quality monitoring and transparency must be strengthened to rebuild public trust. And finally, the fight against galamsey must not only continue but intensify, with a focus on enforcement, riverbank restoration, and stricter mining governance.
As Prince Amoako-Atta put it, “The government has a responsibility to protect our environment and natural resources. It’s time for decisive action to stop Galamsey and preserve our natural heritage for future generations.”
Ghana’s battle against illegal mining is necessary—but it is not sufficient. Without urgent upgrades to GWCL’s treatment plants and aggressive protection of water sources, the country risks repeating some of the world’s worst water pollution disasters. The water flowing from Ghana’s taps must not only be available; it must be safe. If the government fails to treat this as the public-health crisis it is, the cost will be measured not only in money—but in lives.
