Only 44% of Ghanaians have access to safely managed water

The Minister for Works and Housing, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has revealed that fewer than half of Ghanaians have access to safely managed drinking water, despite high national coverage figures for basic water services.

According to the Minister, data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) and the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) show that while about 88 per cent of the population can access basic water services, only 44 per cent benefit from water that meets the standards of safety, reliability, and proximity.

“Only 44% per cent of the population benefits from safely managed water services, defined as an improved water source that is on-premises, available when needed and free from contamination,” Gilbert Adjei stated at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

He explained that the figures expose deep inequalities between urban and rural communities, noting that water access in urban areas stands at about 96 per cent, compared to an average of 74 per cent in rural areas.

“Certain regions are experiencing access rates as low as 42%. It is important to note that these figures include communities where service is often intermittent and unreliable,” he added.

Touching on challenges affecting urban water supply, the Minister disclosed that non-revenue water, water produced but lost through leakages, illegal connections, and inefficiencies, is estimated at 50 per cent, far above the international benchmark of 25 per cent.

“One of the critical challenges facing urban water supply is non-revenue water, which stands at an estimated 50%,” he said, warning that the situation continues to weaken efficiency and financial sustainability within the sector.

Gilbert Adjei further indicated that nearly four million Ghanaians still depend on unimproved, limited, or surface water sources, a situation he said exposes communities to serious health and environmental risks.

He attributed the sector’s challenges to a mix of structural and environmental factors, including ageing infrastructure, inadequate investment in maintenance, weak cost-recovery systems, high operational costs, pollution of water bodies, and climate-related variability.

The Minister assured that the government is committed to addressing the gaps through targeted investments, sector reforms, and stronger collaboration with development partners, aimed at expanding access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water services nationwide.

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