How to Make Ghana’s Urban Water System Services Safe and Efficient?

Rapid urbanization is straining Ghana’s water supply system. This study of the urban water systems in Kumasi and Tamale will assess three core challenges faced by Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL):

• water quality,
• equity,
• non-revenue water.

This study will collect data, including household water sampling, interviews with staff and community members, organizational capacity rating, and reviewing existing literature and historic Ghana Water Company Limited data. Findings will be used to identify opportunities and design pilot interventions to improve urban water service delivery.

GWCL staff lead site visit of the Owabi water treatment plant in the Ashanti region (sedimentation tanks pictured here).

Study Design

Researchers will undertake needs and drinking water quality assessments to understand water quality management. The needs assessment will review literature, interview GWCL staff and water user association leaders, and then carry out a water capacity rating assessment (WaterCaRD) using this information. The drinking water quality assessment will revisit historical GWCL water quality data while conducting additional household water quality testing among the water system’s customers and non-customers.

To understand equity and affordability, researchers will conduct financial assessments at both the household and institutional levels. For households, a literature review, interviews with GWCL staff and low-income community leaders, and low-income household surveys and focus group discussions will elicit information. For Ghana’s water supply system, assessment methods will include a regulatory framework review, cost versus revenue analysis, and financial viability modeling.

To understand water efficiency, researchers will use a desk review of literature, onsite GWCL data review, and interviews with GWCL staff and other rural service providers. They will visit NRW-reduction projects as well as bulk and customer water meters.

This resource was developed by USAID URBAN WASH.

This brief was made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content of this brief is the responsibility of Tetra Tech and The Aquaya Institute and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.