Ghana Water Limited (GWL) says it does not currently have the capacity to provide a continuous water supply to every consumer and is having to ration the water available.
Michael Tawiah Klutse, GWL’s Chief Manager for Corporate Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, said the utility was distributing its limited supply among households.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, November 10, he said the current resources were insufficient to meet demand around the clock.
“We don’t have the capacity to serve every single person 24/7 at the moment. What we have is what we are managing for everybody to get something,” Mr Klutse said.
The supply difficulties come as authorities continue an enforcement operation in Accra against alleged water theft. Since August 2025, 4,395 arrests have been made, with 12 task force teams pursuing illegal connections and meter bypasses that reduce pressure in the pipelines.
Mr Klutse also explained that the elevation of a community can affect how easily water reaches it. Areas at higher altitudes require additional pressure, while communities at lower levels can receive water more readily through the existing network.
“If an area is a bit at elevations that are higher than our normal flow, we need to put in interventions to be able to build up pressure to those areas,” he said.
Zonal rationing
GWL has introduced water demand management measures, including scheduled supplies and zonal rationing, to deal with the shortfall.
A three-zone timetable announced in October covers Kpone-Katamanso, Tema East, Tema West and Ashaiman in the eastern corridor of Greater Accra.
GWL Public Relations Officer Stanley Martey said the schedules were intended to help residents, particularly those in affected or higher-elevation communities, prepare for interruptions and store water ahead of their allocated supply days.
He added that engineers were re-engineering sections of the local pipeline network in an effort to improve pressure.
Residents in eastern Accra communities including Sebrepor, Gbetsile and Community 25 have reported prolonged periods without water. Many have been using water tankers and storage tanks while waiting for pipeline improvements and the implementation of the new rationing schedule.
The government is also in discussions to acquire and restart the idle Teshie-Nungua desalination plant.
At the same time, GWL has asked consumers to regularise their water connections in line with Public Utilities Regulatory Commission rules.
The utility is also seeking to recover GH¢459 million owed by state agencies.
