Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited, Adam Mutawakilu, has signaled a decisive shift in the company’s operational strategy by inaugurating ten specialized Revenue Enhancement Teams. This move aims to combat a staggering 52% loss in non-revenue water and recover billions in outstanding arrears that have crippled the utility’s expansion efforts.
Speaking at the official inauguration ceremony, Mutawakilu described the initiative as a decisive turning point for the company, which currently faces a national supply deficit of 130 million gallons per day.
While acknowledging that water is a fundamental social good, the Managing Director was candid about the high costs of production. He noted that the company is currently grappling with escalating operational costs for chemicals, electricity, and maintenance, alongside an aging infrastructure prone to frequent bursts.
”Without sound revenue, there can be no sustainable service,” Mutawakilu stated. “While water is a social good, producing and delivering it is a capital-intensive operation. It requires chemicals, electricity, infrastructure, skilled personnel, and continuous investment. Every drop of treated water lost through leakage represents wasted chemicals, wasted energy, and lost income.”
The most alarming revelation from the address was the scale of non-revenue water. As of December 2024, the company recorded that 52% of its total supply, roughly 114 million gallons daily cannot be accounted for.
Mutawakilu broke down these losses into technical failures due to leakages and, more significantly, commercial losses. The latter, which accounts for 78% of the missing water, is driven by illegal connections, meter bypassing, and water theft.
”Illegal connections convert treated water into zero revenue,” he warned. “They reduce pressure for law-abiding customers and undermine fairness in the system. Every illegal connection means lost bills, lost chemicals, lost electricity, and lost revenue. This situation is simply unsustainable.”
The decision to expand the Revenue Enhancement Teams follows a successful pilot phase. Between August 2024 and December 2025, just three teams uncovered 239 illegal connections, leading to 8.6 million cedis in charges and the recovery of 2.1 million cedis to date.
Encouraged by these results, Mutawakilu announced the addition of seven new teams, bringing the total to ten operational units nationwide. Their mandate includes meter verification, debt reduction, and the elimination of illegal connections.
Despite the focus on enforcement, he emphasized that the goal is compliance rather than confrontation. He highlighted the company’s digital transformation, noting that customers can now pay bills via mobile money and apps to avoid arrears.
”Our message is simple: paying your water bill should be convenient, transparent, and stress-free,” Mutawakilu said, adding that flexible payment plans are available for those facing genuine hardship.
Concluding the address, the Managing Director reminded the public that the sustainability of the national water supply rests on the shoulders of its citizens. Mutawakilu urged customers to settle their debts to ensure the company can continue to procure essential chemicals and expand its network to unserved communities.
”Ghana Water Limited belongs to all of us. Its sustainability is our shared responsibility,” Mutawakilu concluded.
Story By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
