EPA Warns Galamsey-Affected Communities Against Drinking Boiled Polluted Water

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has warned residents in communities affected by illegal mining not to drink or use water from polluted rivers and streams, stressing that boiling the water does not make it safe for consumption.

According to the Authority, water contaminated by illegal mining activities may contain dangerous substances such as mercury, cyanide and arsenic, which cannot be removed through boiling.

“The notion that boiled galamsey-contaminated water is safe for drinking and other domestic activities is false. While boiling kills bacteria, it does not remove harmful chemicals such as mercury and cyanide,” the EPA stated.

David Agyekum Baidoo, an official at the EPA’s Twifo Praso office, said residents in several villages and hamlets within illegal mining communities continued to depend on polluted water bodies because they had limited access to pipe-borne water.

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Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, he cautioned that using such water exposed residents to serious health dangers, particularly those who drink it, bathe in it or use it for farming and livestock activities.

Baidoo explained that prolonged exposure to chemicals linked to illegal mining could cause kidney damage, neurological disorders and birth defects.

He therefore advised residents of affected communities to depend on treated water and other safe alternative sources instead of assuming that boiling polluted river water would make it suitable for drinking or other household purposes.

He also encouraged residents to support the fight against illegal mining by reporting offenders to the security agencies. He emphasised that providing timely information could help prevent further pollution and protect water bodies that communities depend on for drinking, farming and fishing.