PURC and Housing Ministry Launch Sweeping Water Sector Reforms
Ghana’s Public Utilities Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources have jointly embarked on an ambitious programme to overhaul the country’s water sector, seeking to close regulatory gaps that have long undermined service delivery and left millions of consumers without reliable access to clean drinking water.
The reform framework, announced on Monday, rests on four pillars: legal clarity, enforceable service standards, tariff sustainability, and data transparency. Together, they aim to establish a comprehensive regulatory and licensing regime for all water service providers in Ghana through proposed legislation titled the Clean Drinking Water Services Act.
Dr Shafic Suleman, Executive Secretary of the PURC, said the initiative falls squarely within President John Mahama’s “Reset Agenda” for the water sector and called for urgent passage of comprehensive legislation and updated regulations to address what he described as long-standing challenges in service delivery, tariff management, and sector accountability.
The announcement arrives at a moment when water infrastructure across the country is under acute stress. Engineers and urban planners have repeatedly flagged the consequences of underinvestment in drainage and water systems. Earlier this year, a prominent engineer urged citizens to recognise their own role in both causing and addressing Ghana’s flood crisis, a problem deeply intertwined with failing water infrastructure. Similarly, a multi-agency campaign has been stepping up flood control and drainage desilting efforts across Accra ahead of the peak rainy season, underscoring the urgency of a more systemic approach to water management.
Under the reform plan, the PURC will submit draft legislative proposals to the Ministry, which will then convene technical working groups comprising utilities, civil society organisations, regulators, and development partners to refine the framework. A nationwide public consultation is expected to follow, gathering input from consumers and communities across the country before final recommendations are presented to Parliament.
Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, in a letter dated 5 June, acknowledged the PURC’s proactive stance and welcomed its efforts to establish regulatory mechanisms that promote both operational and economic efficiency in the sector.
The proposed legislation addresses a structural problem that has persisted for decades: the absence of a single, dedicated law governing clean drinking water services. Current arrangements scatter regulatory responsibility across multiple agencies, creating overlaps and gaps that have slowed decision-making and left consumers without clear recourse when standards are not met.
If enacted, the Clean Drinking Water Services Act would for the first time mandate regular publication of performance data, water-quality results, and investment plans by service providers. It would also set complaint-resolution timelines and impose penalties on utilities that fail to meet delivery standards — measures that consumer advocates have long demanded.
The reform effort also seeks to balance affordability with financial sustainability. Evidence-based tariff-setting rules, the PURC argues, will protect vulnerable households while enabling utilities to maintain and expand infrastructure. The National Water Policy of 2024, which the Ministry cited as a guiding document, already calls for the creation of an independent regulatory institution and a licensing regime covering various categories of water service providers.
Engagement with Parliament, sector ministries, and donor agencies is expected to accelerate in the coming months as the government pushes for passage of the Act within the 2026–2027 legislative calendar.
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