Traditional leaders in Kyebi should intervene to protect drinking water sources from illegal mining, says Dr Shafic Suleman, Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
Suleman spoke to journalists in Koforidua on Monday, November 9, after visiting utility facilities in the Eastern Region. He said mining around catchment areas was undermining water treatment.
The tour included the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant, plus offices run by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
The plant draws its water from a mountain spring, roughly seven kilometres away from sites where illegal miners operate. Suleman said heavy pollution had raised turbidity and iron levels beyond the facility’s treatment capacity.
The warning adds to pressure on water bodies as illegal mining has resumed along the Tano River and scientists caution that galamsey-polluted rivers could take 100 years to recover.
Suleman said protecting the catchment requires collective action from residents and traditional leaders, while also noting that evening power fluctuations between 19:00 and 20:00 GMT have disrupted water pumping and treatment in Koforidua and Kyebi.
He said the regulator—which kept electricity and water tariffs unchanged for the fourth quarter of 2026—has asked ECG management to prioritise peak-hour power supply in the region to stabilise water production.
On power distribution, Suleman said PURC worked with the Energy Commission to fix low-voltage faults from overloaded transformers and ageing lines in Akim Oda, improving supply for about 8,000 consumers in Ofoase, Amantia and Akokoaso.
PURC and ECG also upgraded faulty transformers serving seven communities, among them Asenanu, Asaman-Tamfoe and Asamankese.
Over the past year, the commission received about 1,330 consumer complaints in the region and resolved 1,303 of them.
Araba Incoom/3News.com
