What tenants should ask, store, and budget for.
Ask a tenant in almost any Ghanaian town what matters most besides the rent, and water will come up quickly. A room that looks perfect on a viewing day can turn into a daily struggle if the taps run dry for weeks. Reports from 2024 to 2026 show that water supply problems have affected communities from Accra and Tema to Kumasi, Sunyani, Cape Coast, Tarkwa, and Yendi. This guide explains what has been happening, what to ask before you rent, how to store water safely, and how to budget for it.
This guide is general information only, gathered from news reports and published advice. Water supply changes from area to area and from month to month, so always check the exact place and ask people who live there.
Illegal mining has polluted water sources. In January 2025, Ghana Water shut the Bonsa Headworks, which produces about 75 percent of the potable water in the Tarkwa Nsuaem municipality, because illegal mining had polluted the Bonsa River too badly to treat. In 2024, the company said less raw water was reaching the Sekyere Hemang plant that serves Cape Coast and Elmina, because of illegal mining. In May 2026, the regulator PURC reported that sediment in the Tano River had sharply raised the turbidity at the Abesim plant in Sunyani, and that taps in parts of the town had been dry for weeks. Ghana Water had not named one definite cause.
Equipment and infrastructure problems. In January 2024, parts of Accra including areas in Osu and La reported months without water. Ghana Water blamed broken pumps at the Weija treatment plant and broken pipes, and residents who turned to tankers reported paying prices they said they could not afford, with one tanker reported at GH₵1,700. In January 2025, residents of Ho went about three weeks without water after a pump broke at the Kpeve station. In June 2026, the Barekese plant in Kumasi was shut for about 48 hours for pipeline repairs.
Seasons and demand. In Yendi, the River Dakar has dried up when the rains came late, and in April 2026, residents of several communities in Kpone Katamanso near Tema said they had gone more than five months without water. In the south, supply has also been disrupted by road works that damaged pipes.
You can read the sources we found for each city in the renting guide at the bottom of our city pages, for example Sunyani, Kumasi, Tarkwa, Ho, and Yendi.
How does water reach the room, and on which days? A tap that flows on Tuesdays and Fridays is very different from one that runs all week. Ask the landlord, and then ask at least two neighbours separately, because they will tell you how it really is.
Is there a storage tank, and who looks after it? A tank lets you collect water when it flows and use it when it does not. Ask how large it is, whether it is shared among all the tenants, and who cleans it.
Is there a borehole, and has the water been tested? A scientist from the CSIR Water Research Institute advised in 2022 that water from boreholes and hand dug wells should be tested at a laboratory, at least every six months for a household borehole, because not all groundwater is safe. Ask the landlord when the water was last tested and for the result.
Who pays for water? Find out whether the water is in the rent, shared by dividing the bill, or metered for your room alone, and what happens to the bill when there is no supply. Residents of Wa reported in 2019 that they still received bills while their taps were dry, so ask what the arrangement is. Put the answer in your tenancy agreement.
What did previous tenants do during a shortage? If the answer is that they bought water from tankers or vendors, ask how often and what it cost. For the other questions to ask, see our guide on water and electricity arrangements.
Advice published by the Graphic and attributed to water experts says that stored water should be kept in clean, covered containers with narrow openings or a tap, out of direct sunlight, and that containers and tanks should be cleaned regularly. The experts also suggested labelling and dating containers and not storing tap water for long periods. If chlorine tablets are used, the manufacturer's instructions should be followed closely, because too little will not work and too much can be harmful. The experts also warned against putting naphthalene balls in stored water, because they are harmful. That article is from 2013, so treat it as general guidance and not as a current official rule. If you are in doubt about whether water is safe to drink, ask a local health or water authority.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission announced in June 2026 that water tariffs would rise by 0.85 percent from 1 July 2026, with the residential lifeline rate for up to five cubic metres rising from 593.49 to 598.54 pesewas per cubic metre. That is a small increase, but the larger cost for many tenants is what they pay when the pipes are dry. Tanker or vendor water can cost far more than the piped rate, and prices rise when everyone is short at the same time. When you compare two rooms, add a realistic monthly amount for buying water to the cheaper one, because a room with a reliable supply may cost less in the end.
Tell your landlord in writing, keep copies of messages, and ask what the plan is. If you believe the landlord is breaking the terms of your agreement, our guide on the Rent Control Department explains how to file a complaint. For a shortage across a whole community, report it to Ghana Water and keep a record of the dates, because residents who document the problem are in a stronger position when they ask for answers.
Citinewsroom, Bonsa Headworks shut down over galamsey activities, January 2025
GBC, PURC deepens investigations into Sunyani water crisis, May 2026
Citinewsroom, Accra residents hit by months of water shortage, January 2024
Ghanaian Times, Ho residents cry for water, January 2025
Citinewsroom, Barekese Water Treatment Plant shutdown, June 2026
Citinewsroom, Kpone Katamanso residents battle prolonged water crisis, April 2026
Graphic Online, PURC announces water and electricity tariff increases effective July 1, June 2026
GNA, Expert cautions against use of untested borehole water, March 2022
Graphic Online, Storing water in the midst of scarcity, July 2013
Find a room uploaded directly by the landlord, with no agents, and ask about the water before you pay.
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