Water supply and sanitation in Colombia
| Colombia: Water and Sanitation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Data | ||
| Water coverage (improved definition) | 94% (2010) | |
| Sanitation coverage (improved definition) | 82% (2010) | |
| Continuity of supply | 20 hours out of 24 (average 2003) | |
| Average urban water use (l/c/d) | 60 (2006) | |
| Average urban water and sewer bill (US$/month) | 11.40 (2006) | |
| Share of household metering | n/a | |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | 25% | |
| Annual investment in WSS | US$10/capita | |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | 26% | |
| Share of tax-financing | n/a | |
| Share of external financing | n/a | |
| Institutions | ||
| Decentralization to municipalities | Full, since 1989 | |
| National water and sanitation company | None | |
| Water and sanitation regulator | Yes (one single-sector, one multi-sector) | |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Regional Development | |
| Sector law | Yes (1994) | |
| Number of urban service providers | More than 1,500 | |
| Number of rural service providers | More than 12,000 | |
Water supply and sanitation in Colombia have been improved in many ways over the past decades. Between 1990 and 2010, access to improved sanitation increased from 67% to 82%, but access to improved water sources increased only slightly from 89% to 94%. In particular, coverage in rural areas lags behind. Furthermore, despite improvements, the quality of water and sanitation services remains inadequate. For example, only 73% of those receiving public services receive water of potable quality and in 2006 only 25% of the wastewater generated in the country underwent any kind of treatment.