The Our Water, Our Right Africa Coalition (OWORAC) has urged African governments to reject the privatisation of public water systems and prioritise public investment to guarantee universal access to safe, affordable and reliable water and sanitation services.

The coalition warned that public-private partnerships, commercial tariffs, concessions, outsourcing and prepaid water-meter systems could worsen existing inequalities if access to essential water services increasingly depended on people’s ability to pay.

It argued that transferring control of public water infrastructure to commercial interests could expose vulnerable communities to higher costs, inadequate services and potential public health risks.

The coalition made its position known at a press conference on Monday to mark the 2026 Africa Week of Action Against Water Privatisation, a week-long mobilisation scheduled to run from October 12 to 18.

The campaign, themed “Reclaiming Africa’s Water Future: Public Water for All,” calls for stronger public water systems, increased government funding and greater community participation in decisions affecting access to water.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the Convenor of Water Citizens Network Ghana, Geoffrey Occansey, highlighted the scale of the global water crisis, noting that 2.1 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water in 2024, while 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation.

He added that 167 million people in sub-Saharan Africa relied on limited drinking-water services during the same period, accounting for more than half of the global population using services at that level.

According to the coalition, inadequate public investment, weak water utilities, rapid urbanisation and climate-related pressures have continued to undermine access to reliable water supplies across the continent.

It said many households, particularly those in low-income communities, were forced to depend on unsafe water sources or purchase water from vendors, public standpipes, private boreholes, tankers and packaged-water suppliers.

The coalition expressed concern that such alternatives often came with higher costs and insufficient guarantees of water quality and safety.

Water Costs Hit Low-Income Households Hardest
Occansey cited research indicating that low-income households in sub-Saharan African cities that depend on water vendors could pay between 10 and 20 times more per unit of water than wealthier households connected to public water networks.

He described the disparity as a poverty penalty, in which people with the least financial resources could end up paying the highest prices for an essential service.

“Research on urban water access in sub-Saharan Africa has found that low-income households dependent on vendors may pay 10 to 20 times more per unit of water than wealthier households connected to public networks,” he said.

“This is a poverty pen

alty in which those with the lowest incomes can end up paying the highest prices for an essential service.”

The coalition argued that the situation underscored the need for governments to strengthen public water utilities and expand reliable water networks, rather than introduce arrangements that could make essential services less affordable for vulnerable households.

Coalition Warns Against Commercial Control
OWORAC acknowledged the urgent need for increased investment in water infrastructure and sanitation but maintained that financing arrangements should not undermine the right of communities to access safe and affordable water.

It raised concerns about governments increasingly turning to public-private partnerships, concessions, commercial tariffs and prepaid water-meter systems as possible solutions to water supply challenges.

According to the coalition, such arrangements could deepen existing inequalities and create additional challenges, including infrastructure neglect, labour abuses and environmental degradation.

Occansey argued that years of inadequate public investment should not automatically justify transferring responsibility for essential services to private companies.

“Privatisation schemes have a well-documented track record of failure above and beyond the immediate concern of unaffordable service, ranging from infrastructure neglect to labour abuses to environmental degradation,” he said.

“This underscores why the answer to years of public underinvestment cannot simply be to transfer public responsibilities to commercial interests.”

The coalition called for stronger public institutions, adequate funding for water infrastructure and workers, improved planning systems and greater transparency in the management of public water resources.

Environmental Pollution Raises Water Safety Concerns
The coalition also warned that poor sanitation, inadequate wastewater management and unmanaged solid waste continued to contaminate water bodies, threaten public health and worsen flooding in several African cities.

It cited a 2025 investigation by Global Witness concerning a Veolia-managed landfill in Colombia. According to the coalition’s account of the investigation, footage appeared to show untreated leachate being discharged into waterways flowing into protected wetlands, while tests commissioned for the investigation found elevated mercury levels at one sampling location.

OWORAC also referred to allegations by the Gabonese state concerning petroleum waste at pumping stations following years of Veolia’s operations, as well as allegations of significant financial mismanagement involving Suez’s operations in Senegal.

The coalition’s references to these cases formed part of its broader argument that governments should exercise strong public oversight over water-related infrastructure and environmental management.

It maintained that water governance must prioritise public health, environmental protection and accountability rather than commercial interests alone.

Climate Change Increases Pressure on Water Systems
OWORAC said droughts, floods, pollution and other climate-related disruptions had made it increasingly urgent for African governments to strengthen public water institutions and invest in resilient infrastructure.

It warned that inadequate water and sanitation systems could leave communities more vulnerable to climate shocks, particularly in rapidly growing urban areas where existing infrastructure struggled to meet demand.

The coalition argued that administrative failures and years of underinvestment should not be used as justification for transferring essential public services to private interests.

Instead, it called for increased government spending, stronger public utilities, improved data collection and planning, protection of water resources and meaningful participation by communities in decisions affecting water access.

Coalition Seeks Stronger Water Governance Commitments
The campaign comes as the African Union has designated 2026 as the Year of “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”

Occansey said the launch of the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy, alongside the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, provided opportunities for governments to strengthen their commitments to water availability and sanitation.

The coalition said its position paper, Implementing the Africa Water Vision 2063: An OWORAC Coalition Position on Water Justice, Public Financing and Democratic Water Governance, examined gaps in implementing the vision and proposed measures to advance human rights, public accountability and adequate public financing.

Among its demands, OWORAC called for measurable national and regional financing commitments, transparent disclosure of water-related contracts and tariffs, adequate funding for public water utilities and meaningful participation by communities, workers, women and other affected groups in water governance.

It also urged governments to reject privatisation, concessions, public-private partnerships, management and lease contracts, outsourcing, prepaid water-meter systems and other arrangements that transfer control or delivery of public water services to commercial interests.

Occansey maintained that African governments should focus on building dependable public water systems capable of meeting the needs of their populations.

“Africa’s water future cannot hinge on attracting more private investment. It must be built on functioning public water systems that people can rely on,” he said.

Organisations participating in the coalition’s campaign include the Senegalese Water Justice Network, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, the Amaka Nweke Foundation and Disability Not a Barrier Initiative in Nigeria; Water Citizens Network and Revenue Mobilisation Africa in Ghana;

Green Scenery in Sierra Leone; Voices for Water in Zimbabwe; the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya; and Corporate Accountability International.