The Board Chairman of Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Eric Biliguo Adama, has reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving water delivery in the Upper West Region.
He made the commitment during a working visit to the Jambusi Water Treatment Plant at Jambusi in the Upper West Region. According to Adama, the board is embarking on a nationwide tour of all regions where the utility company operates.
During the visit to the Upper West Region, where the board toured the Jambusi treatment plant, he said the team held its board meeting in Wa on Tuesday before engaging the company’s management and staff to assess operational challenges.
Speaking to the media at Jambusi, the chairman stated that the board decided to inspect the Jambusi Water Treatment Plant because it is the primary source of treated water for the Wa Municipality. The tour revealed several concerns requiring urgent attention from both the utility and relevant government authorities.
Mr. Adama cited the poor condition of the road from Wa to Jambusi as a major challenge affecting staff access and operational efficiency. He said the board would engage the Member of Parliament to lobby for improvements along the route, describing the road as critical for sustainable water delivery.
On community access, he expressed disappointment that several communities along the stretch have potable water flowing through transmission lines but lack standpipes. He stressed that it does not make economic sense for villages along the water network to continue depending on unsafe sources when GWL could install at least three to four standpipes in each community.
The board chairman also noted that he was impressed with the physical infrastructure, recalling his involvement when construction began in 2013. However, he raised concerns about the security of the treatment plant, calling for tighter protection, fencing, and 24-hour surveillance to ensure safety.
Adama revealed that the facility is producing at only 40 per cent of its capacity of about 16,000 cubic metres of treated water per day. He attributed the low output to inadequate distribution infrastructure in Wa, which limits the volume of water that can be delivered to homes and businesses.
The board has therefore agreed to procure new pipes in 2026 to raise water distribution efficiency to between 60 and 70 per cent. Moreover, he underlined that despite the availability of treated water, many households and even major establishments, including the hotel where the GWL delegation lodged, depend on boreholes instead of connecting to the public system.
He said the lack of household connections restricts revenue and discourages investment in network expansion. Adama declared that from January 2026, GWL would begin mapping all areas in Wa that require network expansion.