A review of the current literature on small water enterprises (SWEs) found that there were no rigorous, evidence-based, peer-reviewed scientific studies proving their effectiveness in providing potable water [1].

SWEs are active in urban, peri-urban and rural areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America. They operate beyond the reach of piped water systems, selling water to households throughout the world. Their ubiquity in the developing world and access to vulnerable populations suggests that these small-scale water vendors may prove valuable in improving potable water availability.

No upfront connection fees, demand-driven and flexible to local conditions and service to large populations without high costs of utility infrastructure are some of the advantages of SWEs.

Disadvantages are higher charges for water per unit of volume compared with infrastructure-based utilities, lack of regulation, operation often outside legal structures, no water quality monitoring, increased potential for conflict with local utilities and potential for extortion by local officials.

[1] Opryszko, M.C. ... [et al.] (2009). ‘Data gaps in evidence-based research on small water enterprises in developing countries’. In: Journal of water and health, vol. 7, no. 4, p. 609–622. 10.2166/wh.2009.213

Related news: Water kiosks: providing affordable urban water services in Cameroon and Tanzania, Source Weekly, 10 Jun 2008

Related web sites:

• BPD - SSP Internet Resource Base
• IRC Digital Library - search on small-scale providers

Contact: Kellogg J. Schwab, Dept. of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Water and Health, USA, e-mail: kschwab@jhsph.edu

Tags: governance, transparency, water distribution