Western, Accra West and Tema record highest water losses – PURC

In the first quarter of 2026, Ghana's Urban Water Sector was dominated by high non-revenue water levels, with the Western Region, Accra West, and Tema topping the charts. The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) reported losses of 66.1%, 57.2%, and 56.8% respectively in these areas. These figures, detailed in the PURC's latest Urban Water Sector Performance at a Glance report, mark the three regions as priority targets for interventions to reduce water losses and enhance operational efficiency.

GWL, responsible for the overall water sector, recorded an overall non-revenue water level of 49.2%. This figure surpasses the regulatory benchmark of 43%, by 6.2 percentage points. Among GWL's 13 operational regions, only three complied with the benchmark, while 10 exceeded it. The PURC has proposed a comprehensive non-revenue water reduction program for the Western Region, encompassing water-balance assessments, leakage detection, metering interventions, and investigations into commercial losses.

For Accra West and Tema, the Commission highlighted that reducing water losses could significantly enhance operational and commercial efficiency. With the high volume of water sold in these regions, such improvements could yield substantial benefits. Conversely, Ashanti North, Upper East, and Volta regions, with non-revenue water levels of 43.2%, 43.8%, and 44.1% respectively, are nearing the regulatory benchmark.

Achieving compliance in these areas could be facilitated through targeted corrective measures, such as intensified leakage detection and repair, improved meter accuracy, replacement of faulty meters, addressing illegal connections, and better billing and customer database management.

The report also noted an increase in both water production and sales during the quarter. National water production saw a 1% rise, from 86.97 million cubic meters in Q1 2025 to 87.88 million cubic meters in Q1 2026. Simultaneously, water sales increased by 3.7%, from 43.10 million cubic meters to 44.68 million cubic meters. The faster growth in water sales compared to production indicates a rise in the proportion of produced water that is converted into billed or sold water.

The Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA) retained its position as the largest water-producing system, contributing 55.48 million cubic meters to the national production. PURC emphasized that enhancing operational efficiency, distribution management, and loss reduction in the ATMA system could substantially impact GWL's overall performance. Consequently, the Commission is calling for targeted loss-reduction measures, particularly in areas with the highest levels of non-revenue water.