Sand-winning, bad farming affecting water treatment in Eastern Region

The Eastern Region Director of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Ing Asomani Nyarko, has expressed worry sand-winning activities and bad farming practices threaten the water production at the Nsawam Treatment Plant.

He warned perpetrators to desist from the practice.

“Desist from bad farming practices which affect the cost of water treatment in the region. Some chemicals used as fertilisers affect the quality of water which require more than the normal treatment requires.”

Ing Asomani also advised owners of borehole and underground water projects to submit sample for testing twice every year for advice.

He explained borehole and underground water projects may contain harmful chemicals which may increase chances of contracting cancer.

He made the revelations at Eastern Region’s celebration of the 2022 World Water Day at Nsawam in the Nsawam Adoagyiri municipality.

According to Ing Asomani Nyarko, the groundwater, which is the borehole water, is highly acidic which aids cancer cells to multiply quickly.

He warned the country may not achieve the SDG 6 if stringent measures are not taken by authorities to regulate activities of farmers and sand winnings.

According to the Director of Community Water and Sanitation Agency, Ing. Sampson Atakora, 99 percent of the over 1,000 systems the agency manages is groundwater-based.

He noted it was necessary to educate the citizenry of the existence of groundwater and the need to protect them.

The Eastern Region Minister, Seth Acheampong, called for enforcement of all laws that regulate drilling in the country.

He believes this will protect the underground water from over exploitation and contamination which will save millions of lives.

“The Drilling Licence and Groundwater Development Regulations 2006 (L.I. 1827) regulates the prospecting and drilling of water wells in an environmentally sustainable manner. We therefore owe it a responsibility to protect our water wells from abuse and indiscriminate destruction.

“I would therefore admonish all M/DCEs in the region to ensure that activities in relation to drilling of water that affects our ground water must first obtain a drilling licence from the Water Resources Commission. I, therefore, advise all stakeholders in this sector to ensure that existing laws on ground water be enforced at both the local and national levels with the aim of protecting our underground well from toxic products.”

Chiefs, students and various stakeholders joined in the celebration of the 2022 World Water Day by planting trees around the Nsawam Treatment Plant.