Ghana Water Limited records 49.2% non-revenue water in Q1 2026 - PURC

Ghana Water Limited (GWL) reported a non-revenue water (NRW) rate of 49.2% in the first quarter of 2026, surpassing the regulatory benchmark by 6.2 percentage points. NRW refers to water produced but not generating revenue due to factors like leakages, illegal connections, and metering inaccuracies.

Only three operational regions—Central, Upper West, and Brong Ahafo—met the 43% NRW benchmark, with NRW rates of 25.4%, 29.6%, and 39.4%, respectively. The regions with the highest NRW rates were Western (66.1%), Accra West (57.2%), and Tema (56.8%), all exceeding the benchmark by 14.2% to 23.1% respectively.

Ashanti North, Upper East, and Volta were identified as regions with smaller gaps to the benchmark, with NRW rates of 43.2%, 43.8%, and 44.1%, respectively. These regions offer immediate opportunities for targeted interventions to reduce NRW.

The PURC recommended measures such as intensified leakage detection and repairs, improved meter accuracy, stricter action against illegal connections, and enhancements in billing and customer database records. GWL's ability to convert produced water into billed sales has improved, with water production increasing by 1% to 87.88 million cubic meters and water sales rising by 3.7% to 44.68 million cubic meters.

However, production remains concentrated in the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA), accounting for 55.48 million cubic meters.