The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has committed GHS8.4 million towards the first phase of rehabilitating water treatment systems severely affected by illegal mining activities in the Western and Central regions.
The funding was announced at the signing of a Water Infrastructure Rehabilitation Funding and Implementation Agreement between GoldBod and Ghana Water Limited (GWL).
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, said the intervention forms part of the Board’s broader mandate under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), which includes environmental restoration and sustainability initiatives in addition to gold trading activities.
He explained that Ghana Water Limited had approached GoldBod for support after illegal mining, sand winning and other human activities caused severe siltation and degradation of six major water supply systems in the two regions, rendering some of them unsuitable for the treatment and supply of potable water.
According to Mr. Gyamfi, technical assessments and feasibility studies conducted jointly by officials from both institutions confirmed the alarming levels of siltation in the affected water bodies.
Due to budgetary constraints, he said the rehabilitation project would be implemented in phases, with the first phase focusing on the Abonsa, Abwasi and Enyirasi water supply systems.
Under the agreement, the rehabilitation works will include dredging and desilting of water bodies, hydrographic surveys, sediment removal, reservoir capacity assessments, intake infrastructure stabilisation, water quality restoration and monitoring, as well as engineering supervision and technical verification.
Mr. Gyamfi stated that GoldBod would not only provide funding but would also designate representatives to monitor the implementation of the project to ensure accountability and value for money.
He stressed that access to safe drinking water is a national responsibility and underscored the importance of collaborative efforts to restore degraded water sources.
The GoldBod CEO noted that while the environmental challenges predate the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board, the institution remains committed to contributing towards sustainable solutions.
He expressed optimism that the successful completion of the first phase would pave the way for support for the rehabilitation of the remaining three affected water systems.
Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited, Hon. Adam Mutawakilu, disclosed that the challenge of high turbidity affecting key water treatment plants in the Central and Western regions has persisted for more than nine years.
He said Ghana Water Limited had struggled to address the problem on its own and had therefore sought support from other institutions to tackle the growing challenge.
Hon. Mutawakilu commended GoldBod for its swift response, noting that the Board quickly constituted a technical team to inspect the affected sites and assess the level of damage.
He assured GoldBod that the GH¢8.4 million funding would be utilised transparently and in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
According to him, communities in Abonsa, Abwasi, Enyirasi and surrounding areas have been among the hardest hit by the deteriorating state of the water systems and stand to benefit significantly from the intervention.
He further pledged Ghana Water Limited’s commitment to ensuring the successful implementation of the project and expressed appreciation to the management and Board of GoldBod for the support.
