Access
According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, access to water and sanitation services has slowly risen over the years in Guatemala. In 1990, 81% of the total population had access to improved water sources, while in 2004, 90% of the population had access. Sanitation coverage has also risen, from 62% of the total population having access to adequate sanitation in 1990, to 86% with access in 2004. The government of Guatemala estimates that the population without access to water services is growing at a rate of at least 100,000 people every year.
| Urban (49% of the population) | Rural (51% of the population) | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Improved | 98% | 87% | 92% |
| Piped on Premises | 96% | 69% | 82% | |
| Sanitation | Improved | 87% | 70% | 78% |
| Sewerage (2006 JMP survey & census data) | 68% | 17% | 41% |
Source: Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation WHO/UNICEF
Accurate and reliable data regarding coverage in rural areas is unavailable. Conflicting statistics as to the percentages of the population using improved drinking water sources present difficulties in assessing the seriousness of the problem. Although the data above shows that water and sanitation coverage in both rural and urban areas is fairly high in Guatemala, the National Water and Sanitation Information System (Sistema Nacional de Informacion de Agua y Saneamiento) (SAS), which collects and maintains information regarding water and sanitation in rural communities, released information in 2002 indicating that only 53% of homes (it is assumed that this statistic refers to households in rural areas due to the rural focus of SAS) had access to water services. The SAS considers accessible services to be less than 1 kilometer from a home and that at least 20 liters of water is available to each person every day. While 24,000 rural communities exist in Guatemala, SAS has only collected data from 36% of these, making it difficult to determine the actual number of individuals lacking services.
Access to water in urban areas is irregular, as 80% of urban water systems function for an average of 12 hours every day. As of the year 2000, 25% of water in urban systems was disinfected and only 1% of all collected sewage water has been treated.
Read more about this topic: Water Supply And Sanitation In Guatemala
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—Saul Bellow (b. 1915)