Improving Water Quality Management, Water Equity, and Non-Revenue Water in Ghana
Photo credit: Nana Acquah for Winrock International
Summary
Rapid urbanization is straining Ghana’s water supply systems. This study of the urban water systems in Kumasi and Tamale assessed three core challenges faced by Ghana Water Limited (GWL)—water quality, equity, and non-revenue water (NRW)—with the goal of co-designing and piloting interventions to address them. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining household surveys, water quality testing, analysis of water quality data, financial analysis, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions.
Water quality analyses revealed insufficient chlorine levels and microbial contamination at the point of use. High turbidity levels in source water, power outages, aged distribution pipes, and service intermittency due to water rationing exacerbate water quality issues. Analysis of tariffs and survey data showed that piped water connection fees and tariffs are unaffordable for many households. At the same time, GWL is not able to fully recover costs through tariff revenue alone and must consider aggressive efficiency improvements and other funding sources to improve long-term financial viability.
As GWL aims to become more financially sustainable, persistent high levels of NRW represent a clear challenge and an opportunity to increase operational efficiency, recover more revenue, and improve service delivery. However, a lack of bulk metering at key points in the distribution systems, limited use of smart meters, and inadequate resources for robust leak and theft detection hamper the reliability of NRW estimates and constrain GWL’s ability to fully understand and address key causes of physical and commercial losses.
Findings from this study will be used to identify opportunities and design pilot interventions to improve urban water service delivery.
Please find the three reports, produced by USAID/URBAN WASH, below.
Component 1 Report: Improving Water Quality Management
Component 2 Report: Water Equity and Tariffs
Component 3 Report: Non-Revenue Water