Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has announced plans to replace obsolete water pumps and deteriorating pipelines across the country as part of efforts to improve water delivery, strengthen the reliability of supply and minimise water losses.
The Managing Director of GWL, Adam Mutawakilu, disclosed that the Kpong Water Treatment Plant in the Eastern Region would be among the facilities earmarked for pump replacement. He added that ageing pipelines serving Abetifi and neighbouring communities would also be targeted under the initiative.
Speaking before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Mr Mutawakilu explained that the company had decided to concentrate its resources on renewing existing water infrastructure instead of extending the distribution network to additional communities while current supply difficulties remained unresolved.
He argued that expanding the network without first repairing the weaknesses affecting existing infrastructure could intensify public dissatisfaction, particularly among consumers already experiencing irregular water supply.
According to the managing director, GWL suspended new pipeline extension projects from August and instructed its regional and district offices to identify deteriorating pipelines that required replacement. The offices were given until October to submit their proposals for consideration.
Mr Mutawakilu said management would assess the submissions before distributing the proposed replacement projects among the various regions for consideration and approval by the company’s board.
Explaining the reasoning behind the policy shift, he said the company had recognised since April that expanding the distribution network was not always the most effective response to water supply challenges.
“I think since April, my team and I realised that it’s not always extension. Because if you have 100 people and 30 people are complaining, ‘We are not getting water,’ and you are extending the number to 150, are you not just compounding the complaints?” he asked.
He said the company had consequently decided to suspend further extensions and concentrate on replacing old pipelines, adding that regional and district officials had been directed to submit the necessary lists to facilitate the allocation of projects.
Mr Mutawakilu explained that, once the submissions had been reviewed and the board had approved the proposed projects, the company would focus its attention on replacing the ageing pipes identified as requiring urgent intervention.
The initiative represents a shift in GWL’s infrastructure priorities, with management seeking to address weaknesses in the existing distribution system before committing additional resources to network expansion.
The planned interventions at Kpong, Abetifi and other locations are intended to improve the performance of water infrastructure and help address supply difficulties affecting consumers.
However, the effectiveness of the programme will depend on the timely assessment of regional submissions, the approval and execution of replacement projects, and the company’s ability to direct resources towards areas with the greatest infrastructure needs.
GWL’s decision places the rehabilitation of existing pipelines at the centre of its immediate strategy to improve water delivery, rather than pursuing expansion while shortcomings in the current network remain unresolved.
