Ghana Water Limited (GWL) is grappling with a deepening financial and operational crunch, as unpaid customer bills and widespread system leakages continue to undermine its ability to provide consistent water supply across the country.

The company has revealed that outstanding debts owed by consumers have surged to almost GH¢2 billion, draining its revenue base and restricting much-needed investments in infrastructure maintenance and expansion. Officials say the growing arrears are directly affecting the utility’s capacity to improve production and distribution.

Despite producing about 220 million gallons of water every day nationwide, more than half of this volume—approximately 114 million gallons—is lost as “non-revenue water.” Only 106 million gallons are effectively measured and billed, highlighting the scale of inefficiencies within the system.

The situation is particularly dire in Accra, where weekly demand stands at around 210 million gallons, yet supply falls short by an estimated 73 million gallons, leaving many communities facing persistent shortages.

Speaking at the inauguration of new Revenue Enhancement Teams on Wednesday, February 4, Managing Director Adam Mutawakilu outlined the main drivers of the losses.

He said technical challenges such as aging and leaking pipelines account for about 32 percent, while commercial issues—including illegal connections, meter manipulation, billing inaccuracies, and water theft—make up the remaining 78 percent.

According to him, the newly formed teams are tasked with tracking debtors, blocking revenue leakages, and strengthening billing systems as part of a broader effort to stabilise the company’s finances and improve water delivery nationwide.