Low-income households in sub-Saharan Africa that rely on water vendors may pay between 10 and 20 times more per unit of water than wealthier households connected to public water networks, exposing the growing economic inequality surrounding access to one of life’s most essential services.
The Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) raised the concern as it marked the 2026 Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, running from October 12 to 18, warning that unreliable public water supplies are forcing vulnerable households to choose between paying more for water and relying on potentially unsafe sources.
In a statement issued on Monday, the coalition said the burden falls disproportionately on low-income households, rural communities and underserved urban and peri-urban settlements, where access to reliable public water infrastructure remains limited.
Read also: Nigeria’s water crisis pushes households to the brink
Households without dependable piped supplies often depend on vendors, public standpipes, private boreholes, water tankers and packaged-water suppliers to meet their daily needs.
OWORAC described the disparity as a poverty penalty, whereby people with the lowest incomes can end up paying the highest prices for an essential service because they lack access to public networks.
The coalition’s warning highlights how inadequate public infrastructure can translate into higher living costs for vulnerable households, particularly as African cities expand and demand for water rises.
Citing global figures for 2024, OWORAC said 2.1 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water, while 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation.
In sub-Saharan Africa, 167 million people relied on limited drinking-water services in 2024, representing more than half of the global population using services at that level.
The coalition said the figures reflected not only infrastructure shortages but also years of limited public investment, weakened water utilities, population growth, rapid urbanisation, intensifying climate pressures and growing private-sector participation in water systems.
It argued that the failure to provide reliable and affordable public water services leaves households exposed to higher costs while increasing the risk of dependence on unsafe sources.
The concerns come as governments across Africa face pressure to expand water and sanitation infrastructure amid rapid urban growth, climate-related disruptions and persistent gaps in access to essential services.
However, OWORAC warned that the financing models adopted to address the crisis could determine whether new investments improve access for vulnerable communities or deepen existing inequalities.
The coalition expressed concern over the growing use of public-private partnerships, concessions, commercial tariffs, prepaid water-meter systems and other arrangements that increase private-sector involvement in water provision.
While acknowledging the urgent need for investment in water and sanitation, it said access to safe water should not become increasingly dependent on households’ ability to pay.
The coalition called on African governments to strengthen public water institutions, adequately fund utilities and ensure that water remains affordable and accessible to all communities.
It also argued that transferring public responsibilities to commercial operators would not automatically resolve years of underinvestment or guarantee effective service delivery and accountability.
OWORAC cited concerns involving multinational water and environmental services companies, including Veolia and Suez, to support its argument that private-sector participation does not necessarily guarantee better outcomes.
The coalition referenced a 2025 Global Witness investigation that reportedly found footage from a Veolia-managed landfill in Colombia appearing to show untreated leachate being pumped into waterways flowing into protected wetlands. Tests commissioned during the investigation also found elevated mercury levels at one sampling point.
It further cited allegations by the Gabonese state that petroleum waste had been found in nearly all pumping stations following years of Veolia’s operation, alongside concerns over Suez’s involvement in Senegal’s urban and peri-urban water systems, including allegations of financial mismanagement and concerns about the effects on local communities and workers.
The allegations cited by the coalition form part of its broader argument about the need for stronger public oversight, transparency and accountability in water management.
Beyond affordability, OWORAC warned that poor sanitation, inadequate wastewater management and unmanaged waste continue to contaminate water bodies, threaten public health and worsen flooding in many African cities.
It said droughts, floods, pollution and other climate-related disruptions were intensifying existing vulnerabilities, making investment in resilient water infrastructure increasingly urgent.
The coalition urged governments to prioritise universal access to safe, affordable and reliable water and sanitation as a public responsibility and a human right.
Its demands include measurable national and regional financing commitments, adequate funding for public water institutions, greater transparency in water-related contracts and expenditure, and meaningful participation by communities, workers, women and other affected groups in water governance.
OWORAC also called on governments to reject privatisation, commercialisation, concessions, public-private partnerships, management and lease contracts, outsourcing and prepaid water-meter systems that transfer control or delivery of public water services to commercial interests.
The campaign coincides with the African Union’s designation of 2026 as the Year of “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
The launch of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy, alongside preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, also provides an opportunity for governments to translate continental commitments into measurable improvements in water access and sanitation.
As part of its advocacy, OWORAC developed a position paper titled ‘Implementing the Africa Water Vision 2063: An OWORAC Coalition Position on Water Justice, Public Financing and Democratic Water Governance’, examining opportunities and gaps in implementing the continental water vision.
Read also: Women bear water crisis burden as privatisation debate grows in Africa
The statement was endorsed by organisations including the Senegalese Water Justice Network, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa and Amaka Nweke Foundation in Nigeria, Water Citizens Network/Revenue Mobilisation Africa in Ghana, Green Scenery in Sierra Leone, Voices for Water in Zimbabwe, the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya, Disability Not a Barrier Initiative, Cheriehomes Global Initiatives, Christian Initiative for Nation Building and Corporate Accountability International.
The coalition said African governments must use the current policy momentum to strengthen public water systems, improve accountability and ensure that access to safe water is determined by need rather than income.
