The challenge
The city's water utility reached only a quarter of residents and lost most of its water.
The case
In 1993 the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority was near-bankrupt, lost 72% of its water to leaks and illegal connections, and had few metered connections. Under new leadership, it cracked down on illegal connections and corruption, installed meters on every connection by 2001, raised tariffs in steps while helping poor households afford connections, and gave staff better pay and accountability. By 2008 it had piped water coverage of 91% with 24-hour supply, and unaccounted-for water had fallen to about 6.2%.
Why it worked
A public utility can perform as well as any private one with strong leadership, autonomy and accountability. Making connections affordable for the poor helped win support for higher tariffs.
Sources
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