The leadership of the Upper East Regional Branch of the Ghana Water Company Limited is waging war on individuals and companies who connect water illegally to their premises. Consequently, the Department’s periodic checks in homes, chop bars and restaurants, companies and institutions have become visible in the communities within the past few weeks.
Due to the high level of revenue losses over the years, the Utility company’s taskforce has been embarking on a routine check on their meters in the region. The move according to the Ghana Water Company is to fish out persons who are using their water illegally. The Upper East Regional Chief Manager of the GWCL, Kwasi Yeboah Abrebrese, says the initiative had become necessary to control loss in the system.
The utility company has for a long time complained about losing over 50% of potable water they produce to illegal connections in the region particularly Navrongo, capital of the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
The operation by the taskforce according to the company is crucial and will save the company lots of revenue. The Ghana Water Company branch in Navrongo has embarked on weekly program which is intended to clean the system of fraudulent connections and save the company millions of Cedis.
It was through the exercise the taskforce busted some unscrupulous people who have connected water to their premises illegally in Navrongo. Illegal connection is widespread in some communities in the Upper East Region and so the operation by the taskforce according to the water company is crucial and will save the company lots of revenue.
Speaking with GBC NEWS, the Chief Manager at the Ghana Water Company Limited, Kwasi Yeboah Abebrese, urged the public to report illegal water connections in order help reduce their own water bills. According to him, persons who pay their water bills, in the long run, end up paying for persons who do not because such illegal connections affect the cost of producing potable water.
Mr. Yeboah Abebrese disclosed that the GWCL was constantly exploring avenues to reduce the cost of operations per cubic metre of potable water produced.