The Head of Public Relations and Communication at the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Stanley Martey, says the company will introduce a new water rationing schedule for affected communities in Accra to ensure a more equitable distribution of the limited supply.
Speaking to Arafat Musah on Morning Starr on Starr FM, Mr Martey said the affected areas were being divided into three or four zones, with a schedule to be published to inform residents when water would flow into their communities.
He said the zoning exercise was expected to be completed by the end of the week, after which the water demand management programme would be made public.
Mr Martey explained that the programme had become necessary because demand for water in Accra continued to exceed available production capacity, a situation worsened by the shutdown of the desalination plant in the latter part of 2025.
He said the closure had increased pressure on the remaining sources, including the Weija and Kpong treatment plants, forcing GWCL to redistribute water to communities that were previously expected to be served by the desalination plant.
Mr Martey said residents in affected communities should expect water supply only two to three days a week as the company works to distribute the available water more equitably.
“Definitely, they are not going to get water 24/7. They will get water between two and three days in a week,” he said.
He explained that the limited production capacity meant the company could not provide a continuous supply to every community, making a structured rationing programme necessary.
Mr Martey added that recent technical interventions had helped improve water flow in some affected areas after the company identified anomalies in the distribution system.
He said GWCL would monitor the implementation of the new programme to ensure that water reached communities according to the published schedule.
The GWCL official also encouraged residents to store water whenever supply was available to help them cope during periods when the flow was interrupted.
Mr Martey further noted that Accra had not received additional water production capacity since 2015, leaving the capital with a longstanding gap between demand and supply.
The new rationing schedule is expected to give residents a clearer understanding of when they can expect water and help GWCL manage the limited supply across affected communities.
Story By Pamela Quayson
