By James Amoh Junior, GNA
Accra, May 14, GNA – Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has rejected claims that it is drifting from its core mandate, insisting that ongoing operational reforms and investments are focused on improving potable water delivery to urban communities across the country.
Mr Adam Mutawakilu, Managing Director of GWL, said the company remained committed to its primary responsibility of supplying safe and reliable water despite concerns raised publicly over rising non-revenue water levels and the company’s commercial ventures.
“I want to assure Ghanaians, we are on course to achieving our core mandate of providing potable water to the urban communities of Ghana,” he stated during an interaction with journalists.
His comments follow criticisms by the Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Nii Moi Thompson, who questioned the operational direction of the state water utility and expressed concern about worsening water losses.
Speaking on a television programme recently, Dr Thompson said Ghana Water Limited had failed to meet its own targets for reducing non-revenue water and accused the company of deviating from its principal mandate by venturing into commercial activities such as sachet water production.
He also raised concerns about reports that GWL had expanded into bottled water production, describing such activities as a potential distraction from the company’s responsibility of supplying potable water to homes, businesses and industries.
Responding to the concerns, Mr Mutawakilu said the existence of subsidiaries or commercial support ventures did not amount to abandoning the company’s core mandate.
“Having a subsidiary doesn’t necessarily mean you are diverting from your core mandate. We must be very clear about subsidiaries and the parent company,” he said.
He cited examples of other state-owned enterprises that operate subsidiaries while continuing to perform their primary responsibilities.
“We know VRA produces power, that is what they are supposed to produce. But they have NEDCo as a subsidiary that distributes, builds and collects. Do we say that it has deviated from their mandate?” he asked.
The Managing Director maintained that criticisms of the company should be based on verifiable facts and operational data rather than perceptions.
He urged persons with concerns about the company’s operations to engage management and review available records on investments and ongoing interventions aimed at improving efficiency and reducing water losses.
According to him, management was actively implementing measures to tackle non-revenue water through infrastructure rehabilitation, revenue enhancement programmes and stronger monitoring systems.
Recent interventions by the company include repairs on aging transmission pipelines from the Kpong Water Treatment Plant, which supplies water to Tema and parts of Accra East, among other major infrastructural improvement works aimed at reducing water losses, improving operational efficiency and stabilising water supply to rapidly growing urban communities.
GWL officials say assessments on the transmission lines revealed significant leakages on sections of pipelines that are more than 70 years old.
The company has since commenced fabrication and replacement of damaged sections of 21-inch and 42-inch transmission pipes through its Central Workshop to reduce losses and improve supply reliability.
Management has also intensified efforts to tackle illegal water connections and meter bypasses through a Revenue Enhancement Team established in August 2025.
According to GWL, the exercise has uncovered nearly 400 illegal connections in Accra and helped recover about GH₵3.7 million from customers engaged in unauthorised usage.
Mr Mutawakilu said the interventions formed part of broader efforts to improve operational sustainability and ensure efficient water delivery nationwide.
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba
Reporter: James Amoh Junior – [email protected]