By Benjamin Akoto
Sunyani (Bono), Oct. 31, GNA – The Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has announced subsidies in water connections to 600 households in nine low-income communities in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions.
Mr Theophilus Collins, the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Chief Manager of the GWL, explained that the package was in line with the company’s Low-Income Support Customer Department (LICSD) service, to provide relief to pro-poor consumers.
He mentioned Techimantia, Tanoso, Acherensua, Susuanso, Aboabo, Warmanafo, Awaase, Nsoatre, and Kuntunso as the beneficiary communities, saying the GWL was using its Internally- Generated Funds and other external support for the subsidy.
Nonetheless, providing potable water to customers in the regions was increasingly expensive now due to environmental factors, and the prevailing nation’s economic conditions, he added.
Mr Collins gave the announcement at a forum to mark the 2025 Customer Service Week celebration of the GWL Sunyani on the theme: “Mission possible: together we serve, together we thrive.”
He noted that the water systems in the three regions were faced with several challenges, including ageing infrastructure, demand exceeding supply, climate variability, land encroachment and pipeline networks as well as meter theft and non-payment of water bills.
Mr Collis called for collaboration in tackling the challenges to well position GWL to provide regular water supply to customers.
He said in the second quarter of 2025, GWL abolished the printing of paper bills, and fully implemented an electronic billing system that had customer satisfaction.
The GWL in the regions had also upgraded the Call Centre ‘back-office operations,’ and extended pipeline networks to areas like Techiman, Dormaa, Berekum, Techimentia, Acherensua, Dwomo, and parts of the Sunyani Municipality, he said.
Mr Collins said the company had introduced drone technology for periodic monitoring of raw water sources, saying “our only source of revenue to maintain infrastructure, equipment, and overall operations is the water bills from customers”.
“That is why we encourage all our customers to pay their bills promptly to enable GWL to continue providing potable water to them,” he added.
Dr Abraham Yeboah, a Senior Lecturer at Sunyani Technical University, urged GWL to adopt effective and efficient communication strategies to deepen their communications with their customers.
He said effective communication was useful to tackle emergencies and called on GWL to endeavour to engage their customers on bill increments, as well as ensuring quality and consistency of water supply.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/ Christabel Addo