ABSTRACT
In urban areas of many developing countries there is widespread usage of small water supply systems. Many of these small water supplies are grossly contaminated and exist in environments where the ongoing risks of contamination are high. The degree of reliance on small water systems in urban areas of developing countries is not simple to gauge. Many estimates of coverage of the population with access to the piped water supply in developing countries are not wholly reliable and may in fact cover substantial inequalities in service. Having established the importance of small water supplies in urban areas of developing countries, some reflection is required on why people choose these supplies. The major factors in selection may be summarized as access to infrastructure, cost, and perceived quality. Many of the technologies used in small water supplies in urban areas of developing countries are often those that have been transferred from rural areas.
