Image of a water reservoir with a person leaning over its wall and inspecting.

Dependable Water and Sanitation Services in the Democratic Republic of the Congo .

Water and Sustainable Cities | Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene | Business Enabling Environment | Public Private Partnerships and Investment
Africa

Accelerating Peri-Urban Water and Sanitation Services in Kasai Oriental and Lomami Provinces Activity

Project Dates: July 2020 - July 2025
Improving service providers’ business models in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will enable peri-urban communities to better access safe drinking water and sanitation services.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), people living in peri-urban regions lack adequate water services. Unlike services in the rural and urban areas, peri-urban water services are fragmented. Government responsibilities for it are unclear, while mandates go unfunded. In the country’s Kasai Oriental and Lomami provinces, the 2.5 million peri-urban residents rely on a patchwork system of basic services.

USAID/DRC’s Accelerating Peri-Urban Water and Sanitation Services (DRC WASH) works to increase access to water and sanitation services for peri-urban residents in Kasai Oriental and Lomami provinces. The activity works with water service providers and governments to improve providers’ business models and attract investments from the private sector. DRC WASH achieves this through a six-step capacity building process, which includes an operational assessment, investment planning, and financial planning. By supporting water and sanitation service providers and government entities, DRC WASH fosters the emergence of new peri-urban service models. These, in turn, increase communities’ access to safe drinking water and sanitation services.

Project Goals


  • Improve water and sanitation service provider models to strengthen finance opportunities and attract investors
  • Strengthen institutional governance to support water service delivery
  • Support water and sanitation infrastructure and equipment
Training participants sit in a classroom setting with notebooks and laptops.

Accelerating Peri Urban Water and Sanitation Services in Kasai Oriental and Lomami Provinces

The USAID/DRC’s Accelerating Peri-Urban Water and Sanitation Services program trained five water service providers on the DORM System. This improved their ability to collect and analyze sales, expenses, and customer base data.

Two women are walking, carrying yellow jugs of water on their heads.

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