Water Supply
Access to water supply and sanitation in urban areas of Nicaragua has been declining, since there has been little expansion in access while population levels have increased. Water supply in 47% of localities monitored by the regulatory agency (46 out of 96 systems) is not continuous. Poor quality and efficiency of water service are serious concerns in the Managua region. The existing water supply in Managua cannot meet current demand due to high rates of leakage and wastage, which account for 55% of total water produced and distributed by the system. Some households in Nicaragua are receiving service for less than 2 hours per day.
Nicaragua is a water-rich country with a water availability of 35,000 cubic meter/capita/year, corresponding to more than five times the average for Central America and the Caribbean. Less than 1% of these water resources is withdrawn for human use. The major water user is agriculture (84% of withdrawals), followed by domestic use (14%) and industry (2%). Half of this isolated northern Caribbean area is without access to clean water or toilets. Known as the "Land of Lakes and Volcanoes," Nicaragua has abundant sources of freshwater, but little of it is safe to drink or readily accessible. 900 thousand people live without safe drinking water.Years of insufficient public investment following the upheaval and devastation of war and natural disasters, contamination from mining and agricultural activities, and extensive cattle ranching causing deforestation and soil erosion, have left many people without safe water. Similarly, nearly half the country's population lives without an adequate toilet.Water-related diseases exact a huge toll on families' health, keeping children out of school and stifling economic growth. The exhausting task of water collection usually falls to women and girls, who have little time left for work or school.According to the most recent Joint Monitoring Program Report by UNICEF and the World Health Organization, 85% of people in Nicaragua have access to improved water sources and 52% have improved sanitation facilities. However, there is a large disparity between rural and urban areas: in rural areas only 68% of people have access to safe drinking water and 37% have improved sanitation.
