By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Dec.22, GNA – The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in 2021 collected a total of GHS 902.2 million in revenue, compared to GHS 669.5 million realised in 2017, witnessing a 34.8 percent increase.
The total volume of water sold in 2021 was 172.7 million cubic metres as against 140.6 million cubic metres sold in 2017, representing an increase of 22.8 per cent.
The improvement was due to its operational efficiencies and introduction of digital technology in billing and revenue collection from its customers.
Dr Clifford A. Braimah, the Managing Director of GWCL, announced this at a media briefing in Accra on Thursday, dubbed: “The State of the Agencies Report”.
The media encounter enabled the Company to update the public on the various infrastructure projects and interventions it had undertaken during the year under review and chart the way forward towards improving its service delivery.
Dr Braimah said, for instance, the electronic payment transactions in 2017 amounted to GHS1.7 million and rose significantly to GHS13.2 million in 2018, hitting GHS64.3 million in 2021, a percentage increase of 387.5.
Currently, monthly average revenue realised from the electronic payments stand at GHS9.3 million and expected to rise to GHS11.1 million by the end of December, 2022.
He stated that the Company had 860,000 customers, comprising government institutions, private individuals, and entities as against 639,322 in 2017, which saw 37.2 percent increase.
Averagely 5, 320 customers were added every month, he said.
The GWCL was committed to meeting the increasing demands of its customers through efficient management and distribution of potable water.
Dr Braimah said it would work to improve technical and production efficiency and reduce commercial losses.
The Company extended its pipelines by 662 km and 15km distribution network improvements at the cost of USD6.5 million, he said.
Also, it installed 14 Automated Voltage Regulators at the cost of GHS 12.3 million at worst affected systems to mitigate the effects of power fluctuations at some water treatment plants and booster stations across the country.
Some of the beneficiary water treatment plants are the Barekese, Odaso, Konongo, Aframso, Achiase, Kwanyeko, Bafikrom, Essakyir and Sekyere Hemang.
Currently, the GWCL is operating 91 urban water systems in 15 operational regions, 160 operational districts and four specialised units, whilst its water coverage in urban areas stood around 77 per cent.
Dr Braimah mentioned illegal water connection, sand mining around its water treatment stations, and illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) as some of the challenges the Company faced.
It was cooperating with the security agencies and leveraging on technology to address them, he said.
GNA