A series of stringent measures has been outlined by the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) in response to the growing menace of illegal water connections and unauthorised commercial water sales.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, August 7, the Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited, Adam Mutawakilu, disclosed that the company has banned the unauthorized sale of water, especially that sold from hydrants managed by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

According to him, persons who engage in the act of have until this month to desist in this practice or face the sanctions of the Ghana Water Limited. He stated that the company has already begun a crackdown on illegal activities being carried out by its consumers.

“We have banned the use of fire hydrants, and the team is assessing those who sell water to tankers commercially. Looking at the trend it is going, if we realise that out of 10 people, seven have illegally connected [to the hydrant] we will be forced to suspend. The team started yesterday, and we are analysing the data, and by the end of the month, management will be able to put an end to this,” Mr. Mutawakilu stated.

Additionally, he noted that residents in Greater Accra use approximately seventy-three (73) million gallons each day, which are not accounted for by GWL.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited, Adam Mutawakilu, attributed the situation largely to water theft, illegal connections, and damaged infrastructure in the region.

He explained that the utility company is able to take records for only sixty-seven gallons of water out of the one hundred and forty million gallons distributed daily to the area. According to him, this is impeding the service delivery of the company.

“In Greater Accra, we produce about 140 million gallons a day, but we can only account for 67 million gallons; that means we cannot account for 73 million gallons every single day. Even with the 67 million gallons that are accounted for, we are still unable to collect all the revenue,” he added.

Touching on the situation in other regions, the Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited revealed that only 48% of the water produced nationwide is properly accounted for by the company.

The disclosure comes at a time when there are widespread complaints of water shortages across parts of the capital.

In March this year, doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi have halted all surgical procedures indefinitely due to a severe water shortage affecting the facility for over a week.

In a memo dated March 25, 2025, the Komfo Anokye Doctors Association (KADA) informed hospital management of their decision, stressing that it was taken in the interest of patient safety.

"This memo is to formally inform management of the decision taken by the Orthopaedic and Emergency Directorate to temporarily halt the admission of new patients until the availability of water is restored," the statement said.

In the same month, residents of Kanvili Kpawmo in the Sagnarigu Municipality bemoaned prolonged water shortage, as the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) failed to restore supply for over three months.

Despite the absence of running water, households continued to receive monthly bills, a situation that fueled widespread frustration within the community.

In June, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) disconnected the power supply to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWL) over a debt of about GH¢ 1 billion owed to the company.

This follows its 12-day nationwide revenue mobilisation operation, which began on Monday, June 16, and ended on June 27.

Its target audience includes residential, commercial, industrial, and government institutions with outstanding electricity bills.

Consequently, the power-producing company on Tuesday, June 17, disconnected the country's water supply company over its debt of GH¢999.6 million following a visit by ECG’s task force.

The disconnection was confirmed in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) which captured an ECG official disconnecting the national water supply company.An official of GWCL was seen questioning the taskforce about the disconnection and on what authority they are doing such.

The ECG has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to GWL to settle its outstanding debt or risk an extended disconnection of power supply to its main pumping stations, which are crucial for nationwide water distribution.

Other state entities, such as the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), which was next to have been disconnected after GWL, owe a debt of GH₵3,153,484.98.

Ghana National Gas Authority also owes ECG GH₵ 299,458.59, BUI owes EGC GHS 2,399,711.69, followed by the Ghana VAT service, which owes the company GH₵ 3,153,484.98, NPA owes GH₵252,731.98 among other government institutions.Private entities such as Nyanho Clinic owe a debt of GH₵ 448,942.64

Officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) say the disconnection exercise targeting indebted state institutions is part of a broader initiative to tackle persistent non-payment and improve the financial stability of the power sector.

Customers have also been urged to use their regular channels, including the ECG Mobile App, to pay their bills. Download the app from the Google Play Store, or call the ECG contact center at 0302611611 or social media handles for assistance.

Per reports, the ECG is drowning in debt over GHC67 billion. The ECG has on numerous occasions embarked on revenue mobilization exercises but is yet to retrieve all the money owed the company.

Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr Shafic Suleman, has lauded the Electricity Company of Ghana for improved revenue collection in the first quarter of 2025.

According to him, ECG has collected almost GHC1.4 billion every month since the beginning of the year.

ECG over the years has repeatedly pointed to massive debts owed by both private and public institutions as a major factor in the sector's financial struggles.

Ghana’s energy sector is wallowing in a ballooning debt of about GH¢80 billion, according to President John Mahama, who outlined plans to clear it by 2026 through restructuring and private sector involvement.

The current government inherited GH¢70 billion in energy sector debt from the previous administration. Despite efforts to clear some of this debt, financial challenges persist.

Among the initiatives taken by the current government to deal with this debt was the introduction of the ‘controversial’ GHC1 fuel levy, which charges a cedi on every litre of petroleum products in Ghana, aimed at tackling the country's energy sector debt, which currently stands at $3.7 billion.

A successful rollout could have generated revenue ranging from about GH¢5 billion to GH¢6 billion to support the procurement of liquid fuel.

However, the announcement was met with harsh criticisms from both industry players and commercial transport drivers, who even threatened a sit-down strike if implemented.The International Monetary Fund (IMF), on the other hand, welcomed the implementation of the Energy Sector Shortfall and Debt Repayment Levy that introduces a GHC1 fuel levy.

At a press briefing, Julie Kozack noted that the country stands a better chance of addressing its energy sector crisis with the implementation of the levy.