Over 60% of Ghana’s Surface Water Polluted, ‘AQUAurus’ Protocol Needed to Address Ghana’s Water Crisis – Bright Simons

Over 60% of Ghana’s Surface Water Polluted, ‘AQUAurus’ Protocol Needed to Address Ghana’s Water Crisis – Bright Simons

Policy analyst and activist, Bright Simons, has raised alarm over Ghana’s deteriorating water quality, attributing the crisis not only to environmental degradation but also to structural policy failures within the country’s water governance framework.

According to Mr Simons, over 60% of Ghana’s surface water is now polluted, forcing the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to deploy industrial-grade synthetic polymers to treat water from natural sources — an expensive process typically reserved for heavily contaminated industrial wastewater.

Speaking on the issue, Mr Simons argued that the absence of pricing for raw water accessed by GWCL is a major contributing factor to the country’s worsening water quality.

“GWCL pays nothing for the water it fetches and sells to consumers. Because of this, it has neither the incentive nor the financial resources to invest in safeguarding water bodies,” he noted. “Instead, it relies on the already-stretched security services to protect vital water sources.”

He explained that the artificially low pricing of treated water — regulated to keep it affordable — has effectively undermined efforts to secure Ghana’s water resources. In his view, this situation has led to unchecked pollution by illegal miners, urban waste discharge, and agricultural runoff.

In response, Mr Simons and his team have proposed a new regulatory framework dubbed the AQUAurus protocol, aimed at revaluing Ghana’s water resources and curbing the looming crisis.

At the heart of the protocol is a policy shift to charge GWCL for the raw water it extracts. “AQUAurus, meaning ‘Water is Gold’, will empower the Water Resources Commission (WRC) to price water properly, triple current rates, and introduce a lifeline tariff to protect the most vulnerable,” said Mr Simons.

While acknowledging that the new pricing regime may spark public backlash, he insists it is a necessary step to make water policy a politically salient issue and to incentivise conservation and enforcement.

Further, the protocol outlines a system where WRC would not only receive payments from GWCL but also concession out water bodies to private contractors. These contractors, in turn, would be responsible for managing and protecting the water sources against illegal mining and pollution, possibly using drones and helicopter patrols.

“The current zero-cost model for raw water has effectively subsidised Ghana’s gold boom,” Mr Simons revealed, noting that 80% of gold production in Ghana comes from surface mining, with nearly half of it cleaned by diverting natural watercourses without any cost. Only large-scale miners invest in their own water infrastructure, he said.

“By not charging for water, we’re indirectly financing galamsey operations and unsustainable mining practices,” he added.

The protocol also proposes a tokenised system where citizens can invest in water concessions and monitor water quality using satellite and remote-sensing technologies. These tokens would reflect the quality and volume of water within specified areas and allow for market-based pricing and ownership.

“We must act urgently to reverse the tragedy of the water commons,” he stressed. “The AQUAurus protocol is the bold step Ghana needs to avert a national catastrophe.”

Mr Simons called for the immediate implementation of the plan, warning that any further delays could be disastrous for both public health and the economy.