The Minister for Works and Housing, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has revealed that only 44 per cent of Ghanaians have access to safely managed drinking water, despite high overall figures for basic water services.
According to data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), approximately 88 per cent of the population has access to at least basic water services. However, safely managed water — defined as an improved source that is located on-premises, available when needed, and free from contamination — is available to just 44 per cent of Ghanaians.
The minister made the disclosure during the Government Accountability Series held in Accra on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.
Mr Adjei highlighted stark urban-rural disparities in water access, noting that urban areas enjoy coverage of about 96 per cent, while rural communities average 74 per cent. Some regions record access rates as low as 42 per cent, with many services characterised by intermittency and unreliability.
He further pointed out that nearly four million Ghanaians still depend on unimproved, limited, or surface water sources, exposing them to significant health and environmental hazards.
In the urban water supply sub-sector, the minister identified non-revenue water — losses due to leaks, illegal connections, and metering inaccuracies — as a major concern, standing at an estimated 50 per cent, far exceeding the international benchmark of 25 per cent.
“This high level of non-revenue water continues to undermine operational efficiency and the financial sustainability of the sector,” he stated.
Mr Adjei attributed the persistent challenges in the water sector to multiple factors, including aging infrastructure, inadequate investment in maintenance, weak cost recovery mechanisms, high operational costs, pollution of water bodies, and climate change-induced variability in water availability.
Despite these difficulties, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water services nationwide.
He assured that targeted investments, structural reforms, and enhanced collaboration with development partners remain central to the administration’s strategy to bridge the current gaps and ensure equitable water access for all Ghanaians.