GHANA: Non-Revenue Water Management for Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) operation in Accra

The government of Ghana aims to provide sustainable water and basic sanitation for all by 2025. However, reducing losses from non-revenue water (NRW) remains a challenge—more than half of the water produced by utilities is lost before it reaches consumers. To address this issue, Ghana Water Company Ltd. (GWCL) and the World Bank have explored the use of performance-based contracts (PBC) to reduce NRW. The aim is to reduce NRW to 25 percent, in line with best practices in Africa. The Accra East Region, part of the Greater Accra Metropolitan area, will be the first location to use PBCs to reduce NRW. The initiative will improve network efficiency, service standards, customer base, and revenue. The activity drew from practical international experience, built capacity on performance-based contracting, provided practical on-the-job training to improve the capacity of technical staff, and supported the NRW component of the Performance Improvement Program launched by GWCL. With the CREST grant, GWCL benefited from the Development of High-Level Options for Building Climate Resilience in Existing and Planned water supply system Infrastructure PPPs.These activities have helped GWCL further improve its operational efficiency, particularly in refining and implementing its NRW reduction strategy. The initiative is a significant step towards achieving Ghana's goal of providing sustainable water for all by 2025. A two-year contract is expected to be signed, and the target is to reduce 23,000 m3/day of water loss. The $20.5 million contract is part of the ongoing GAMA Sanitation and Water project.