Ayensu river pollution forces Winneba residents to find new water sources
The ongoing water crisis in Winneba in the Central region has compelled the Effutu Municipal Assembly to provide alternative water sources for residents.
Currently, supply from Ghana Water Limited’s Kwanyako Headworks — which draws raw water from the heavily polluted Ayensu River — has become unsafe. The water appears brownish and leaves clay residue at the bottom of containers.
In communities such as Osubopanyin, Silvakrom, and Woarabeba, many residents fetch directly from the river without treatment, while only a few use alum to purify it.
The situation is particularly alarming in coastal communities like Sankor and Alata Kokodo, which were hit by a cholera outbreak in late 2024. Some food vendors, including Comfort Akorful, admit to cooking with unsafe water. Health experts fear this could trigger another outbreak of waterborne diseases.
Speaking to Citi News, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Effutu, Atta Mensah, said urgent steps are being taken to mitigate the crisis.
“We want to avoid a situation where there will be an outbreak of diseases. People are drinking from the Ayensu, which is heavily polluted by galamsey. We have, therefore, resolved to drill boreholes in affected communities to address the crisis,” he said.
According to him, 10 boreholes will be drilled across selected areas to complement ongoing water deliveries by tanker services. He also called on state security agencies to clamp down on illegal miners whose activities continue to pollute the Ayensu River upstream in the Eastern Region.
