From Pipes to Policy: What Five Years of Water Data Reveals

One chart, many insights: gains in water access, but rural equity and sanitation investment lag.

A single chart can tell a complex story — and this one spans five years of effort to improve water and sanitation access across the country. It shows that while some indicators are on a steady climb, others have flatlined, revealing opportunities for policy recalibration.

Water Access: A Story of Uneven Acceleration

National access to improved water sources rose from 64% in 2020 to 77% in 2024 — an impressive 13-point gain. But a closer look reveals a disparity:

1. Urban access surged from 73% to 93%, nearly universal.

2. Rural access crawled from 60% to 69%, leaving over 30% of rural households behind.

   
   

This divergence suggests that infrastructure investments have been disproportionately urban-focused — understandable from a cost-efficiency standpoint, but risky if rural resilience is neglected.

📌 Policy Insight: Bridging the urban-rural divide may require subsidies, community-based water schemes, or decentralized systems.

Sanitation: Plateau After Early Gains

Sanitation access jumped from 88% in 2020 to 93% in 2021, but has remained unchanged for four years. The early success may reflect low-hanging fruit: upgrading facilities in urban areas or formal settlements. What remains is likely harder — informal areas, behavior change, or last-mile delivery.

Urban Sewerage Coverage: The Weak Link

With just 33% urban coverage in 2024, sewerage systems remain the sector’s Achilles’ heel. Though improving — up from 25% in 2020 — the pace is sluggish. The costs of poor sanitation ripple across public health, pollution, and urban resilience.

📌 Opportunity: Investments in sewerage infrastructure can yield high returns in health, land value, and environmental sustainability.

Non-Revenue Water: A Hidden Drain

One of the more stubborn indicators is Non-Revenue Water (NRW), hovering at 45%. That means nearly half the water produced never generates income — lost to leaks, theft, or poor metering.

🔧 Fixing leaks is fixing the budget. Cutting NRW by even 10 points could fund new infrastructure without increasing tariffs.

Conclusion: A Pipeline of Possibilities

The five-year trend lines show what’s possible — and where effort has stalled. Urban water access proves that rapid progress is achievable with the right focus. But rural coverage, sanitation, and sewerage still demand targeted investment.

One chart. Six stories. And one big opportunity to close the gap between infrastructure and impact.