Water consumption increased by 80% with free policy – GWCL

Water production by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has increased by 80% since the government instituted the free water policy.

The Head of Communications at the GWCL, Stanley Martey, who revealed this on Onua TV's Maakye, said consumption of water by Ghanaians has also increased proportionally within the period.

Government in the month of April announced free water for all Ghanaians due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The eight-month free water policy is expected to end on Thursday, December 31, 2020, if the government does not renew the policy with the GWCL.

Speaking on the issue on Tuesday, December 29, Mr. Martey explained that “we started in April and the consumption has gone up”.

“It goes up every month but December will be more because it has gone up more than 80% throughout the country.”

The Communications Director said “if the government does not come back to tell us we should continue the free water policy, it means we have ended”.

“We shall do the calculation and let the public know how much has been spent by the government within the eight-month period of the free water.”

Mr. Martey said “the government is paying. We read the meters monthly and we are reading the last one in December because the billing cycle is such that we can’t read all in one month so the moment we come to read your meter, it means the free water has ended”.

He advised water consumers to make conscious efforts to pay their water bills promptly now that the free policy has ended.