More than 4,000 households and commercial establishments have been identified by Ghana Water Limited (GWL) for alleged water theft.

This was disclosed by GWL’s Chief Manager of Corporate Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Michael Tawiah Klutse, during an appearance on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, November 10.

He attributed the figure to a major crackdown on illegal connections and other activities by the company, which began in August 2025.

“From the time we started this exercise in August 2025 up to date, Bernard, you will be surprised what you’ll see. But we have almost about 4,395 households and establishments,” he said.

The arrests followed the deployment of 12 enforcement teams by GWL in Accra to clamp down on activities that undermine its operations.

He expressed concern over what he described as the increasing normalisation of water theft, adding that the company was stepping up efforts to tackle the practice.

He said cases uncovered so far had been referred to court, with prosecutions currently underway.

Meanwhile, GWCL has been ordered by an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration tribunal to pay US$235 million to Befesa Desalination Developments Ghana Limited, the operator of the Teshie desalination plant, following a dispute over the termination of a water purchase agreement.

In October 2025, GWCL shut down the plant without reaching an agreement with the Spanish-owned company over unresolved contractual issues and concerns over maintenance.

Shortly after the case was referred to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for arbitration, the tribunal proceedings lasted about a year, after which Cox announced on Monday, September 21, that the two final decisions had been issued by the ICC on September 17.

Cox said the amount, net of taxes, relates to payments arising from the termination of the agreement under which Ghana Water purchased treated seawater from the plant. Interest on the award will run from April 1, 2026, despite the verdict being delivered in September.

On the other hand, GWCL raised counterclaims, including a US$144.5 million claim. However, the ICC rejected the claims and ordered the utility company to cover part of the company’s legal costs.

Impact of the plant shutdown

According to reports, more than 500,000 residents in Teshie, Nungua, Spintex, Sakumono and La continue to face rationed water supply, with many residents relying heavily on water tankers, boreholes and sachet water.

In February 2026, President John Mahama directed the Finance Minister, the Attorney-General and Ghana Water to negotiate with the plant’s shareholders to resolve the dispute and facilitate the resumption of operations.

GWL Managing Director Adam Mutawakilu subsequently said the utility was working to reach a settlement that would allow the plant to resume supplying water to affected communities.