GWCL loses 52% of water produced – MD

More than half of the water produced by Ghana Water Limited (GWL) is unaccounted for due to aging infrastructure and widespread illegal connections, the company’s Managing Director, Adam Mutawakilu, has revealed.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show with Bernard Avle on Tuesday, Mr. Mutawakilu said Ghana’s daily water demand stands at about 350 million gallons, while current production levels fall significantly short.

“The demand is about 350 million gallons a day. That means that with everything being equal, that is the amount of water we are to produce every day. But currently, we produce 214 million gallons, so about 136 million gallons short every day,” he stated.

The situation is particularly critical in Accra, which consumes between 60 and 70 percent of the nation’s daily water supply. “If we narrow it down to Accra, the demand daily is 210 million, and we produce 137 million. Accra alone takes about 60 to 70 percent of the demand, so we have a shortfall of about 73 million in Accra,” Mr. Mutawakilu explained.

According to the GWL chief, much of the problem stems from weaknesses in the company’s transmission and distribution system. He described the majority of the infrastructure as outdated and fragile, and highlighted the impact of illegal connections on water losses.

“When you take that, and you come to transmission and distribution, that is another problem. We have most of the infrastructure being weak. Also, we have illegal connections. People use the water without paying, so 52 percent of the water produced is unaccounted for,” he said.

Mr. Mutawakilu emphasized that tackling infrastructure deficiencies and reducing illegal connections are critical to improving water supply and minimizing losses nationwide. He added that efforts are ongoing to strengthen the transmission network and implement measures that will ensure more efficient and equitable water distribution.