The GWL says it is doing everything possible to end the water crisis
The Ghana Water Limited (GWL) says it is working ‘around the clock’ to restore operations at the Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant by the end of January 2026, a move expected to ease months of severe water shortages across parts of Accra’s coastal belt.
The Communications Director of GWL, Stanley Martey, disclosed this while addressing the company’s prolonged silence over the legal and technical challenges that have kept the $126 million facility shut since October 2025.
According to a report by adomonline.com on January 13, 2026, nearly 500,000 residents in Teshie, Nungua, Baatsona, Spintex and Sakumono have been grappling with acute water scarcity, forcing many households to rely on expensive private water vendors.
Martey acknowledged that water supply to the affected communities had been fragile even before the plant’s shutdown, noting that rationing had long been part of service delivery.
Water crisis in Teshie enclave worsens as desalination plant remains shut over debts
“Until October, every area was receiving water an average of four days in a week. Rationing has been ongoing for a very long time. We don’t dispute that. But then a few people were getting 24/7, while the rest of us were getting an average of four days in a week,” he explained.
The shutdown of the desalination plant, which converts seawater into potable water, has significantly reduced supply volumes to the coastal areas.
Martey said that whenever technical challenges arise, the rationing programme is the first to be affected.
“There are certain times that we have challenges. When we have challenges and the volumes are reduced, it definitely affects the rationing programme. But averagely, we get water four days in a week,” he added.
While GWL has issued a temporary rationing timetable to manage the current shortfall, Martey stressed that a lasting solution depends on the full resumption of operations at the desalination plant.
Ghana Water Limited temporarily shuts down Teshie-Nungua desalination plant
He cautioned, however, that although engineers can manage maintenance timelines, ongoing legal issues make it difficult to give a definitive reopening date.
“Under the circumstances, we are doing everything possible to ensure that by the end of January, we should end this impasse. But I can’t give a definite date. When it comes to maintenance, engineers can give timelines. But when it comes to legal issues, I can’t predict that it can end in a week or two,” he noted.
The impasse, he explained, centres on long-standing contractual debts and unresolved servicing obligations involving GWCL, the government and the plant’s private operators.
The prolonged water shortages have also raised public health concerns, with clinics in Teshie reportedly recording an increase in the risk of water-borne infections.
Responding to these concerns, Martey appealed for public patience, insisting that the delays are necessary to ensure the long-term safety and reliability of the facility.
“As we apologise to the people, we want them to appreciate that everything we are doing is in their interest. We need good quality drinking water, and we need the plant to be in a condition where it can serve us for a very long time,” he said.
MRA/AE
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