Illegal mining (popularly known as galamsey) along the River Pra is badly disrupting operations at the Daboase Water Treatment Plant, which provides drinking water to communities in the Takoradi enclave of the Western Region.
According to reports, miners working on the banks of the River Pra, right across from the Intake Pumping Station at Daboase and further down at the Bosomase Intake point.
The mining is blocking water flow into the treatment facility and worsening contamination of the raw water pumped to the plant.
As of Friday, August 14, 2026, turbidity levels in the raw water had hit 11,955 NTU, far above the acceptable limit of 500 NTU. The spike in turbidity is straining treatment processes and could undermine the plant’s capacity to deliver steady potable water to Takoradi and surrounding areas.
The elevated levels are placing extra strain on the plant’s purification systems.At present, only two out of four pumps at the Daboase Intake are functioning. The situation has sparked fears over the future of water production if authorities fail to stop the ongoing illegal mining along the River Pra.
