From its headquarters in Kinshasa, Regideso’s strategy is to reopen its war-damaged water treatment plants.

It seems ironic that a country so rich in water resources should not be able to supply all its citizens with clean water. The DRC’s river network stretches across the whole country, and even the smallest villages and most remote areas are not far from a source. But at the moment only around 46 percent of the population has access to clean water, according to the UNDP in 2002.

Regideso is the company in charge of the treatment, distribution and marketing of water in the DRC. A state-owned monopoly, it saw spectacular growth in the 80s partly because of the rapid urbanization of the population, and partly thanks to external investment resulting from the International Decade of Clean Drinking Water, set up from 1981 to 1990. By the 90s, Regideso was operating 94 water treatment and distribution centers.
The years of conflict since 1996 have taken their toll on the company and its installations, and it is only now beginning to re-establish normal management and administration practices. In 2004 the firm produced its first financial statement in seven years. War damage means that only 55 of the 94 water treatment plants are still functioning, and investment is needed if production and distribution are to return to normal levels.

The company is aided by the World Bank, the EU and the African Development Bank (ADB). Total proposed expenditure for rehabilitation and development projects has risen to $620m, and although donors and investors together have agreed to provide this, the money may not be forthcoming until after the elections this year.

The priority is to reactivate the larger centers that were destroyed or damaged during the war, in order to ensure a minimum production and increase supply rates from 60 to 90 percent. Improvement works will start in Kinshasa and other large cities because investment here can be recovered more easily, freeing up capital to invest in more out-of-the-way areas. Only in about five years’ time can the company begin to think of opening new centers. In the long term, it may be possible to export water to other countries.

Rapidly swelling urban populations provide Regideso with its biggest challenge. Kinshasa, for example, now has an estimated 7.5 million inhabitants, while the network only has the capacity to supply water to half of them. The company aims to provide a more evenly distributed supply, ensuring that everyone has at least some access to water, making a significant stride in health and social terms.