Ghana Water Limited (GWL) is working harder to stop the growing number of water theft cases, which not only cost the company money but also put a burden on its infrastructure and interfere with the provision of equitable and sustainable services.
Water meter theft, which was occurring all throughout the country, was another concerning issue the GWL was dealing with.
Adam Mutawakilu, GWL’s managing director, told the Daily Graphic that the business has been closely collaborating with the Ghana Police Service to investigate and prosecute perpetrators after thousands of water meters were reported stolen statewide since the start of 2025.
Theft practices, including bypassing water meters, directly tapping pipelines, using inline pumping equipment, and increasing water meter theft, have all increased between the last quarter of 2024 and the first half of 2025.
There have been thousands of unapproved connections recorded in all GWL operational areas, which has resulted in a loss of revenue because the GWL is unable to account for the vast amounts of water that are produced, transferred, and distributed.
Between the last quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, more than 2,700 illicit connections were discovered in the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area alone.
Among these were unauthorized service lines, circumvention of consumer meters, and multiple customer reconnections following legal disconnections due to bill nonpayment.
In one well-known instance, it was discovered that a property at Power Land, close to Ritz Junction on Agbogba Road, had three water service lines, only one of which was meter-equipped.
Two additional tanker operators managed to get around the entire billing system.
The arrangement had enormous subterranean reservoirs hidden behind a wall.
According to Dr. Hadisu Alhassan, Regional Production Manager for the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area, “such connections for commercial gain put an unfair burden on the entire network.”
He praised Eric Biliguo Adama, the chairman of the GWL Board, for personally spearheading the investigation that turned up the Agbogba case.
More than 800 subscribers in Accra West have been sued by the corporation for not regularizing their service within a grace period.
Similar issues still exist in the Accra East Region, where Nana Yaw Barima Barnie, the PR and Communications Manager, emphasized the growing number of unapproved extensions and bypassed meters, claiming that these practices caused service disruptions and made it challenging to efficiently plan water distribution.
Five people were detained in the Ashanti Region for illegally tapping into GWL pipes in DeNyame, Dakodwom, Kwadaso Estate, and Santasi Apire.
According to Padi Kwabena Narh, the region’s PR and Communications Officer, the offenders have been charged and the money has been recovered.
Ibrahim Baako Alhassan, a 50-year-old businessman in Tamale, was successfully prosecuted as a result of the enforcement campaign. The Circuit Court found him guilty of placing in-line pumps on GWL pipelines without authorization.
He was ordered to sign a bond promising good behavior and was fined GH¢3,600, which is equivalent to 12 months in prison.
The GWL has continuously advocated for a fair strategy that permits criminals to make amends for their transgressions while enforcing the law when required.
The GWL MD stated: “Before resorting to legal action, we issue notices, extend grace periods, and educate the public on proper procedures. Unfortunately, when people choose to disregard these measures, we have no option but to apply the law.”
In addition to enforcement, Mr. Mutawakilu stated that the corporation was investigating community-based partnerships in hotspot areas, where whistleblowers who come forward with reliable information about illicit water operations would receive 10% of the money collected from a culprit.
Source: newsthemegh.com