Sunyani: Mr. Adam Mutawakilu, Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited (GWL), has called for public support to address illegal connections and related water theft in the country. He emphasized that these unlawful practices adversely affect operations and revenue generation, urging the public to report any suspicious activities related to water theft to GWL. Such illegal connections and customer misclassification reduce water availability and undermine service delivery.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Mutawakilu made these remarks during an interview with the media after inspecting the progress of the Wenchi Water Project. Accompanied by key officials of GWL, the MD concluded his working visit to the Bono Region at the project site. He highlighted that management has introduced measures to ensure that water produced and sold is properly accounted for.
Mr. Mutawakilu noted that when he assumed office, the non-revenue water stood at 52.2 percent, which meant GWL recovered about GHS48 out of every GHS100 worth of water supplied. This figure reduced to 51.6 percent as of December 2025, and further dropped to 45.5 percent in January and 45.59 percent in February 2026, with expectations for March to follow this trend. GWL aims to intensify efforts to address both physical and commercial losses, including replacing weak sections of transmission pipelines.
He mentioned that GWL's central workshop is fabricating pipelines to replace portions of transmission lines from Kpong to Tema and from Kpong through Dodowa to the Okponglo reservoirs. Plans are also underway to train district managers and operational staff to strengthen monitoring and curb illegal connections, with training scheduled for district managers soon.
Mr. Mutawakilu criticized the failure of some GWL personnel in billing, pipeline monitoring, and new connections to detect illegal connections. He stated that management would assign clear responsibilities and take necessary actions. He urged personnel to report colleagues involved in illegal connection activities, highlighting that internal accountability is crucial for improving efficiency and ensuring reliable water supply.
During his visit, the MD also inspected the progress of the stalled rehabilitation and expansion of the Sunyani Water Supply Project at the Abesim Headworks of GWL and held discussions with staff of the regional office in Sunyani.