The Board Members of the Water Resources Commission (WRC) conducted an official oversight and regulatory site visit to the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) processing complex in Apimenim, Ahanta West Municipal. This visit forms a core part of the Commission’s statutory mandate to monitor water abstraction permits, evaluate dam safety compliance, and foster deep engagement with major industrial water users across Ghana.
Beyond executing routine infrastructure inspections, the WRC Board actively engaged in a strategic dialogue with GREL’s leadership team to understand the real-world water challenges impacting their operations. GREL management highlighted how clean water is an indispensable asset for washing raw rubber cup lumps to meet the stringent international quality and safety standards demanded by global tire giants like Michelin, Bridgestone, and Toyo Tires.
A central focus of these discussions was the severe environmental threat posed by illegal gold mining (galamsey) upstream. GREL reported that mining activities in the Souni River catchment area have resulted in heavy siltation and high turbidity in raw water inflows.
This pollution not only poses critical operational risks to rubber processing but has also drastically inflated facility maintenance costs due to excessive sediment accumulation in their treatment systems.
In response to these pressing challenges, the WRC Board reaffirmed its firm commitment to step up inter-agency collaboration with the Minerals Commission and national security agencies to clamp down on illegal mining activities safeguarding vital river basins. WRC officials also commended GREL for its proactive corporate stewardship, its commendable community initiatives in constructing clean borehole water systems for downstream communities.
Through rigorous oversight, collaborative dialogue, and targeted state intervention, the WRC remains dedicated to protecting Ghana’s water bodies so that local industries can thrive sustainably for generations to come.
A central focus of these discussions was the severe environmental threat posed by illegal gold mining (galamsey) upstream. GREL reported that mining activities in the Souni River catchment area have resulted in heavy siltation and high turbidity in raw water inflows.
This pollution not only poses critical operational risks to rubber processing but has also drastically inflated facility maintenance costs due to excessive sediment accumulation in their treatment systems.
