Find Water and Sanitation expertise in Vanuatu

The entire water supply infrastructure in Vanuatu is owned by the state and monitored by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities. Private company Unelco Vanuatu Ltd has a contract to provide water for Port Vila, which has been extended outside the Vila municipal boundary to the Blacksands area as a part of the Unleco concession contract. Meanwhile the Vanuatu Public Works Department (PWD) provides water for Espíritu Santo, Malekula and Tanna. The Department of Rural Water Supply within the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is charged with managing the water supply in all rural areas, but in most rural areas, village water committees are responsible for water supply systems. There is very little water quality monitoring or surveillance, even in urban areas.

Tap water is considered safe to drink in Port Vila and Luganville, but there is a market for bottled mineral water primarily served by the local bottling company Azure Pure Water. Around 83% of people have access to an improved drinking water source and 52% to adequate sanitation facilities (2009). In many areas of Port Vila, and central points of Mele, solid waste collection is outsourced to a private company.