ABSTRACT
In the early nineties, the infrastructure of water supply services in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh was truly broken. In terms of distribution, only 20 percent of the city’s inhabitants received mains water (Otis, 2013). The system was operational for 10 hours a day and in terms of quality, the supply was inadequate for human consumption. Water loss rates hovered at 70 percent of supply. Poorly maintained pipes and thousands of illegal connections meant the entire system was dysfunctional. Much like the system it ran, the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) was a state-run enterprise rife with corruption and inefficiency. Political pressure combined with poor management made coordinated attempts to improve the supply system fruitless. A lack of skilled employees further exacerbated an already deplorable situation.
