By Sarah Baafi
Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has raised concerns over a significant national water supply deficit, revealing that daily water demand currently stands at 350 million gallons, while installed production capacity remains at just 220 million gallons.
The Managing Director of GWL, Mr Adam Mutawakilu, disclosed this during the inauguration of the company’s Revenue Enhancement Team on Tuesday, February 4, 2026.
He explained that the shortfall is even more severe in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, where daily demand is estimated at 210 million gallons, compared with current production of 137 million gallons, leaving a deficit of 73 million gallons per day.
Mr Mutawakilu attributed the persistent supply gaps to ageing infrastructure, frequent pipeline leakages, rising operational costs, climate variability, pollution of water bodies, and rapid urbanisation.
“Every drop of treated water lost through leakages represents wasted chemicals, wasted energy, and lost income,” he said.
He further revealed that many of GWL’s pipelines and treatment facilities are decades old, making them prone to breakdowns and reduced capacity utilisation, particularly during periods of high pressure.
To address the situation, GWL has intensified efforts to strengthen its revenue base, describing revenue enhancement as critical to sustaining operations and improving service delivery.
As part of these efforts, the company has expanded its Revenue Enhancement Teams from three to ten, with a mandate to improve revenue collection, reduce customer indebtedness, detect illegal connections, verify meters, and promote customer education.
Mr Mutawakilu also highlighted ongoing digital transformation initiatives aimed at making billing and payment more convenient while reducing direct staff-to-customer interaction. This has led to the restructuring of the Technology and Innovation Department into separate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Geographic Information System (GIS) units.
He appealed to customers to pay their water bills promptly, stressing that improved revenue would support infrastructure upgrades, network expansion, and a more reliable water supply.
“Ghana Water Limited belongs to all of us. Its sustainability is our shared responsibility,” he said.
