Coronavirus: Bunso Water Treatment Plant shuts down again over galamsey

Management of Ghana Water Company Limited in the Eastern Region is struggling to produce water for residents living in and around Bunso due to the pollution of the Birim River by illegal miners.

The Bunso Water Treatment Plant is intermittently shut down over alarming levels of raw water turbidity several months now.

The situation has, however, worsen this week making it impossible to produce water for customers.

The Bunso Water Treatment Plant pumps raw water from the Birim river to produce about 60,000 gallons of treated water to serve residents in communities such as Bunso, Nsutem, Etukrom, and its environs.

The activities of illegal Miners in the Birim River continue to pollute raw water source increasing the Water turbidity sometimes to as high as 20000NTU which is almost impossible to treat.

According to the Ghana Water Company Limited, the expected raw water turbidity level ideal for treatment should be less than 3000NTU.

On April 7, 2020 for instance, water Production started with raw water turbidity level of 2760NTU as at 6:00am but the turbidity rose to 20820NTU around 10:00am forcing authorities to shut down the plant.

As at the time of filing this story at about 4:00pm on April 8, 2020, the raw water turbidity was close 8000NTU.

The Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Office of the GWCL, Kwadwo Daase, said the situation is worrying. According to him, the Bunso Water Treatment Plant hardly operates 24 hours without being shut down over increased raw water turbidity.

The inability of GWCL to produce water to serve its customers threatens the fight against coronavirus pandemic in Ghana as frequent handwashing with soap under running water is required.