A food systems toxicologist and health risk assessment expert, Dr Ekpor Anyimah-Ackah, has issued a warning about the quality of drinking water in Winneba.

He revealed that residents have been consuming visibly contaminated water for more than a year.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 4, Dr Anyimah-Ackah described the situation as a public health crisis that is putting vulnerable populations particularly schoolchildren at serious risk.

“In Winneba, where I work and live, we have never had clean water for only God knows how long,” he said.

“Since last year until now, all the water we drink is brown, and it is exposing schoolchildren - the next generation.”

He attributed the poor water quality to the failure of municipal water treatment systems, which he said are no longer capable of adequately purifying water contaminated by illegal mining activities upstream.

Dr Anyimah-Ackah stressed that the consequences of this prolonged exposure to contaminated water could be severe, especially for children, who are more susceptible to the long-term effects of heavy metals and chemical pollutants.

Although Winneba is not a galamsey zone itself, the expert warned that no part of the country is immune to the effects of illegal mining, due to the interconnected nature of Ghana’s food and water supply chains.

“If you are not in a galamsey zone, you are still at risk because you source your food from these areas,” he noted.

“Our food baskets are where galamsey is most prevalent. Crops take up these substances and retain them. Every time you eat, the toxicants build up in your body.”