Ghana Water uncovers 685 illegal connections in Greater Accra, recovers GH¢6.5m

Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has uncovered 685 illegal water connections in the Greater Accra Region as part of efforts to tackle water theft and reduce revenue losses. The company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Adam Mutawakilu, disclosed this on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, September 2, during a discussion on the topic, “Is Ghana’s water quality and access under threat?” Mr Mutawakilu said the illegal connections were detected by the company’s National Revenue Enhancement Team, which has been operating in collaboration with National Security since August 2025. “As we speak, in August, we’ve been able to uncover 685 illegal connections within the Greater Accra Region, which we call the ATMA Region,” he said.

According to him, Ghana Water billed the affected customers GH¢18.5 million and has so far recovered GH¢6.5 million. He explained that the company was pursuing the remaining GH¢12 million and would take customers who refused to settle their debts to court after completing the necessary processes. Mr Mutawakilu said illegal consumption accounted for about 78 per cent of Ghana Water’s non-revenue water, while physical leakages represented 22 per cent.

He maintained that tackling theft would help the company recover substantial revenue because much of the unaccounted-for water was being consumed through unauthorised connections rather than physically lost. Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) currently provides water to about 18.5 million people across the country, despite having just over one million registered customers, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Adam Mutawakilu has disclosed. He explained that the number of people served by the company is significantly higher than its registered customer base because a single water account can serve several individuals or households.

Mr Mutawakilu made the disclosure on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, September 2, during a discussion on the topic, “Is Ghana’s water quality and access under threat?” “We have over one million customers. When I say one million customers, I don’t mean those who consume our water because, under every customer, you can have more than five or 10 people,” he explained. He cited the example of a landlord who is registered as the customer, although the water connection may serve several tenants living on the same property.

“In reality, we serve about 18.5 million,” Mr Mutawakilu stated. However, he said GWCL’s current production capacity remains below national demand. According to him, the company produces about 219 million gallons of water a day, against an estimated national demand of 350 million gallons.

This leaves a daily shortfall of approximately 131 million gallons, he said. Mr Mutawakilu said GWCL was taking steps to improve water supply, including replacing ageing pipelines, tackling illegal connections and upgrading its metering infrastructure. He said these measures were intended to improve the reliability of water delivery and reduce losses across the company’s distribution network.