Water crisis looms in Northern region, 50-year-old pumps struggle to meet demand

The Dalun treatment plant is producing less than half of the water needed to serve more than 1.4 million people.

A looming water crisis is unfolding in the Northern Region as Ghana Water Limited (GWL) continues to rely on pumps installed in 1972 to serve a population that has grown from fewer than 100,000 to over 1.4 million.

Officials say the obsolete systems are overstretched and unable to keep pace with demand.

“The Dalun water treatment plant produces only 35,000 cubic metres of water daily, while the region requires 90,000 cubic metres to function adequately,” Regional Chief Manager of GWL, Steven Amihere Mensah, told journalists during a tour of the facility by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Sanitation and Water Resources. “This gap means large sections of the population do not get enough water.”

He pointed to aging infrastructure and persistent power outages as the biggest challenges facing the plant. “We are still operating with machines that have been in service for more than 50 years, and the frequent interruptions in electricity supply only make the problem worse,” he said.

Mr Mensah called for urgent investment to modernise the facility and improve reliability. “If these outdated systems are not replaced and the power stabilised, the region will continue to face serious difficulties in accessing safe drinking water,” he warned.

However, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has proposed a 280 percent water tariff increase.

GWCL said the hike is necessary to keep operations running in the face of mounting costs.

GWCL’s 280 percent proposal was presented during the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) 2025–2030 tariff review stakeholder engagement. According to the utility, galamsey activities and worsening pollution of rivers and streams are forcing higher chemical use and damaging treatment equipment.

“Illegal mining and pollution are crippling our ability to treat and deliver clean water at current tariff levels,” a GWCL official told the forum. “The reality is that we are spending more on chemicals like alum and lime than ever before, and our machines are breaking down faster because of sludge and silt.”

The 280 percent tariff hike request is the highest among all utilities, surpassing the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) proposal for a 225 percent increase in its Distribution Service Charge. GWCL argues that without an upward review, it cannot sustain operations, ensure quality water, or replace worn-out electromechanical equipment.

Michael Klutse, Chief Manager of Corporate Planning at ECG, also weighed in at the session, noting that chemical effluents and sand winning activities in areas such as Dalun and Nawuni continue to worsen the situation for GWCL. He said these environmental pressures are compounding costs for utilities that rely heavily on raw water from polluted rivers.

To highlight the gap between market and utility prices, GWCL compared its tariffs with private sector pricing. “A thousand litres of sachet water costs about GHS 1,000, while bottled water of the same quantity is around GHS 6,000. Even water sold in containers is GHS 440. Yet GWCL charges just GHS 5.28 for 1,000 litres. Clearly, the current tariff is not realistic,” the company stated.