For the nearly 500,000 residents living along the eastern coastal corridor of Accra spanning Teshie, Nungua, Baatsona, Spintex, and Sakumono water has become more expensive than fuel. Since October 2025, when the $126 million Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant was abruptly shut down, the "Yellow Gallon" has become an unofficial member of every household.

However, a glimmer of hope emerged last week. On January 12, 2026, Stanley Martey, the Communications Director for Ghana Water Limited (GWL), broke months of silence. He announced that the company is working around the clock to restore the plant by January 31, 2026. But for a community that has heard these promises before, the question remains: is this a firm commitment or just another drop in a bucket of broken promise


                                                    
Accra’s Coastal Thirst

The Anatomy of a Crisis: Why Did the Taps Dry Up?

To understand the current emergency, we must look beyond the dry pipes. The crisis is a perfect storm of technical neglect and legal gridlock.

1. The Debt Impasse
Reputable reports from JoyNews and Graphic Online reveal that the plant a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) involving Spain’s Abengoa Water and Japan’s Sojitz Corporation was shut down primarily due to unpaid contractual debts. While the previous administration made a $13 million payment in 2024 to keep the facility afloat, the flow of funds from the Ministry of Finance reportedly stalled in 2025.

2. Technical Decay
Operating in a saline environment is brutal on machinery. GWL has admitted that the plant was shut down to prevent "irreversible damage" to the infrastructure. Without critical maintenance, the desalination membranes (which filter the salt from seawater) were at risk of total failure.

3. The Rationing Reality
In the interim, GWL has been rerouting water from the Kpong Water Treatment Plant. However, the math simply doesn't add up. Kpong is already overstretched, serving Tema, Ashaiman, and Kpone. This has forced Teshie residents into a 4-Days-A-Week rationing schedule that many locals claim is actually closer to 0-Days-A-Week.

The Human Cost: From Waterborne Fears to Financial Ruin

This is no longer just a utility problem; it is a public health emergency. Clinics in Teshie, such as the Camp 2 Health Centre, have reported an alarming uptick in skin infections and waterborne risks.

The Price of Thirst: A single gallon of water now sells for as high as GHS 5. For a family of five needing 10 gallons a day for basic hygiene and cooking, that’s GHS 1,500 a month nearly double the national minimum wage.

Hygiene at Risk: Residents have been spotted collecting seawater for Non-Consumptive chores, a dangerous practice that risks the spread of cholera and other pathogens if accidental ingestion occurs.

  • October 28, 2025: The Emergency Shutdown The Ghana Water Limited (GWL) initiated an emergency shutdown of the Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant, taking the facility offline due to a mounting accumulation of contractual debt and the urgent need for critical maintenance to prevent permanent damage to its infrastructure.
  • December 2025: The Festive Surge As the holiday season arrived, the coastal enclave experienced a festive surge in water demand the increased consumption caused the temporary rationing schedule which fail across most parts of Teshie, leaving thousands of households without supply during the peak period.
  • January 8, 2026: The New Rationing Plan In response to growing resident agitations and a worsening supply gap, the GWL released a revised and more rigorous water rationing schedule on January 8, designed to better manage the limited volumes being rerouted from the Kpong Water Treatment Plant.
  • January 12, 2026: The Restoration Deadline During a public address on January 12, the Communications Director for GWL, Stanley Martey, officially set January 31, 2026, as the target deadline for the restoration of the plant, stating that the company is working around the clock to bring the facility back into operation.
  • January 21, 2026: The Critical Checkpoint The upcoming date of January 21 serves as a critical checkpoint for the project, as the government is expected to provide a formal update on the legal impasse regarding the long-Standing contractual debts and unresolved servicing obligations between the state and the plant’s private operators.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why is the Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant shut down?
The plant was shut down in October 2025 due to a combination of long-standing contractual debts owed to the private operators and the need for critical maintenance to protect the $126 million facility from saline corrosion.

2. When will water be restored to Teshie and Nungua?
Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has set a target date of January 31, 2026, to resolve the legal and technical "impasse" and bring the plant back online.

3. Is the water from the desalination plant safe to drink?
Yes. When operational, the plant uses Reverse Osmosis to treat seawater to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. However, some residents have historically complained about a "salty taste" due to mineral balance issues, which GWL says it is working to rectify in this new maintenance phase.

4. How much is a gallon of water in Teshie right now?
As of mid-January 2026, residents are reporting prices between GHS 3 and GHS 5 per gallon from private vendors, a significant increase from the standard utility rates.

5. What is the current rationing schedule?
GWL released a temporary schedule in early January 2026, aiming to provide water at least two to four days a week to affected areas. However, supply varies based on the pressure levels from the Kpong treatment plant.