Water supply in Sierra Leone
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Water coverage (broad definition) | 58% (2015) |
| Sanitation coverage (broad definition) | 15% (2015) |
| Continuity of supply | not available |
| Average urban water use (L/person/day) | 40 |
| Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3) | 0.22 |
| Share of household metering | 20% |
| Annual investment in WSS | US$12m in 2000 (US$2 per capita and year) |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | None |
| Share of tax-financing | 15–20% in 2000 |
| Share of external financing | 80–85% in 2000 |
| Institutions | |
| Decentralization to municipalities | In progress (decided in 2004) |
| National water and sanitation company | Sierra Leone Water Company (Salwaco) |
| Water and sanitation regulator | None |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Ministry of Energy and Water |
| Sector law | Guma Valley Water Company in Freetown, Salwaco and local councils |
Water supply in Sierra Leone is characterized by limited access to safe drinking water. Despite efforts by the government and numerous non-governmental organizations, access has not much improved since the end of the Sierra Leone Civil War in 2002, stagnating at about 50% and even declining in rural areas. In the capital Freetown, taps often run dry. It is hoped that a new dam in Orugu, for which China committed financing in 2009, will alleviate water scarcity.
With a new decentralization policy, embodied in the Local Government Act of 2004, responsibility for water supply in areas outside the capital was passed from the central government to local councils. In Freetown the Guma Valley Water Company remains in charge of water supply.
A 2005 report says that wide-scale corruption is a major problem in the sector. It continues to say that there is a lack of trust between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the public water company Salwaco, which was "suspicious to NGOs". A decision by Salwaco to use only German Kardia hand pumps was controversial, since they are more than twice as expensive as the India Mark II pumps preferred by many NGOs.