We are not rationing water – Ghana Water Company MD

Managing Director for the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Dr. Clifford A. Braimah has refuted reports suggesting the company is rationing water in many parts of the capital and across the country as a result of water shortage.

Speaking to Ghanaweb at the sidelines of a joint stakeholder consultative forum with utility companies Monday, Managing Director, Dr. Braimah indicated that the company is merely putting in demand management techniques to ensure that water is evenly distributed across the country, particularly in this dry season.

A statement released by Management of the GWCL indicated that the company was experiencing some challenges with water supply in Accra and most parts of the country.

The statement went further to caution consumers to be measured in their consumption of water while the company addresses the challenges.

Reports in many media outlets suggested the commencement of a water rationing program by the GWCL following the release.

Dr. Braimah however denied the existence of any such exercise, stressing on the fact that the announcement made by the company was merely a precautionary measure to avert crisis especially since the country is currently in the dry season.

“We are not rationing water, we are just asking consumers to manage their demand because we are in the dry season. These are technical issues that happen like if you take East Legon, if East Legon is running, Ajirigano cannot get because Ajirigano is on a higher hill so if we shut East Legon to let Ajirigano get it, it doesn’t mean we are rationing, they are all localized technical issues,” he said.

He added, “Sometimes in places where they go and repair, they don’t turn the valves on….We are only asking people to do demand management and that’s what happens in every world class utility, everywhere, even the UK, when it’s getting to drought, they tell you not to use your water hose to wash your car, not to use it to water your lawns and so it’s a management tool that every utility uses. This is dry season, there is no inflow of water and you are drawing so you’ll just have to ask your customers or consumers to manage what we have so that we don’t get into any crisis”.

“If we were rationing, it will mean that you’ll only be getting water once a week, sometimes its pressure especially in this dry season where alternatives are not there, there is pressure on the lines, everybody wants to draw and if you are further away from the system before the water will get to you, people would have drawn and so what we need to do is to manage it”, he said.

He however admitted that a management plan has been put up for areas up North to ensure equal distribution because most of their treatment plants are old and problematic.



“If you go to Tamale, it’s not because we don’t have, they are still pumping the same volumes of water but Tamale has outgrown their treatment plants and so whether you like it or not, you’ll have to do a management plan to get everyone satisfied,” Dr. Braimah stated.

The Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) met with utility companies in the country in a Joint Consultative forum in Accra to tackle among other things issues regarding reduction in tariffs for businesses.