Private Operators and Rural Water Supplies: Can it Work?
Numerous cases demonstrate that private operators can improve water services in rural small towns. But what about very small rural settlements or scattered rural homesteads? A recent World Bank study1 reviewed 25 initiatives that aim to do precisely that—use private operators to manage water infrastructure serving dispersed rural households, or rural settlements with populations under 5,000, on a significant scale. This SmartLesson documents some of the findings from the study, and shares lessons about how to improve rural private operator initiatives going forward.