ACCRA, Sept. 30 — Ghana Water Limited (GWL), the West African country’s state-owned water utility company, held a stakeholders’ dialogue on Monday, seeking ways to end losses blamed on water theft through illegal connections, unpaid bills, meter bypasses, and meter tampering.
GWL Managing Director Adam Mutawakilu told the meeting that the losses threaten the company’s sustainability, as they undermine its financial stability and operational capacity, in the face of rising water production costs.
He warned that the phenomenon could cripple the GWL’s ability to meet the surging urban demands for access to clean water and hamper its ability to expand water infrastructure, maintain and upgrade aging networks, and ensure a consistent and sustained supply of safe and affordable water to all Ghanaians.
The dialogue was organized with support from the World Bank’s Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Program. Mutawakilu said the stakeholders’ input is critical because sustainable water management is not the sole responsibility of the GWL, but “a collective endeavor that requires the active participation of all stakeholders.” (Xinhua)
