Water supply and sanitation in Colombia
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Access to an improved water source | 94% (2010) |
| Access to improved sanitation | 82% (2010) |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | 25% |
| Continuity of supply | 20 hours out of 24 (average 2003) |
| Average urban water use (L/person/day) | 60 (2006) |
| Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3) | 11.40/month (2006) |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | 26% |
| 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) |
| No. of urban service providers | More than 1,500 |
| No. 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.