Background WaterAid, an international not-for-profit organisation, released a report listing the nations with the lowest access to water. The report paints a seemingly familiar picture; that water insecurity in poor and dry countries remains a worldwide crisis and that the countries that are the poorest and most disadvantaged have the greatest levels of water stress. The report made an interesting comment about Cambodia’s progress in improving access to water for its people. According to the report: ‘Cambodia is among the top-10 countries improved by percentage points, with 75 per cent of people now enjoying clean water close to home, compared to 52 per cent in 2000.’ Comment Over the past 15 to 20 years, Cambodia, or more specifically the capital Phnom Penh, has produced one of the most improved water management systems in South East Asia. The Khmer Rouge regime, opposed to any form of functional government, public accountability or reliable public infrastructure, allowed the water systems to fall into ruin. Cambodia’s current successes are due to the reformation of the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) and the encouragement of a culture that extols responsible water use. The reformation of the PPWSA began in 1993, under Sonn Chan. At this time, the authority was heavily subsidised and failing to make substantial profits. In the early to mid-1990s, the annual income generated was only 0.6 billion riels ($201 thousand), while operating costs were around 1.6 billion riels ($537 thousand). High subsidies were mainly used to keep the water authority running, producing a workplace of inactivity. Since the PPWSA used most of its budget to prop the organisation up, it could not pay its workers competitive wages. Water pipes covered barely 40 per cent of the city and a lack of maintenance meant that a significant amount of water was lost before reaching people’s homes. To fix the problem, the authorities found they needed to make people pay for water and to teach them to be more responsible when consuming it. Water supplies were disconnected when payments did not come through and water meters were installed. Funds were raised and with that money the water authority started fixing the broken water systems and hiring new technicians, who were much younger and more energetic. In 1998, the water authorities were able to provide all households in the capital with clean drinking water and from between 1993 and 2008 water losses were reduced from 72 per cent to six per cent. One of the greatest challenges that faced the authority was the need to increase profits to offset both the mounting costs of running an unprofitable organisation and the costs of reform measures. Up until the mid-2000s, the authority was costing the government money, however, but after the authority implementing a number of cost-saving measures, the government was able to reduce its subsidy payments. The water utility, formerly a state-owned enterprise, was made public in 1997, giving the organisation more flexibility in enforcing its policies. Though Cambodia still faces a number of water security challenges, the progress it has made has been significant. Rural access to water has improved and revenues are expected to rise this coming year, despite a decrease in water rates. Since the reforms in 1993, one of the drivers of Cambodian water security has been the water utility’s success in weaning itself from reliance on government subsidies and becoming an independent profit-making organisation. The enforcement of water usage legislation, such as the billing of water users, the metering of water outlets and heavy fines and penalties for law breakers, has not only allowed the organisation to accrue revenue, but also to improve how Cambodians think about water usage.