The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) branch in Tarkwa spends 100,000 Ghana cedis monthly in treating and distributing water for residents of Tarkwa Nsueam and its surrounding communities.

The amount, which keeps on escalating monthly, is due to the activities of illegal miners who have made it a point to mine in the Bonsa River, which is the main source of water treated by GWCL.

The Tarkwa District Manager of GWCL, Mr. James Oteng Mensah, told the GNA in an interview that if immediate steps are not taken by the government and the security agencies to halt the operations of the illegal miners, operations of the company might be affected in future.

He said because the water had been highly polluted, the company uses between 150 -500 kilograms of chemicals for it to be safe for human consumption.

Mr. Oteng Mensah said although GWCL treats water at a reduced cost across the nation, water treatment in mining areas is becoming extremely expensive for the company.

He said to eliminate illegal mining security agencies need to organize frequent operations to flash out the illegal miners along water bodies.