Water supply and sanitation in Georgia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Water supply and sanitation in Georgia is characterized by achievements and challenges. Among the achievements is the improvement of water services in the capital Tbilisi where the water supply is now continuous and of good quality, major improvements in the country's third-largest city Batumi on the Black Sea where the country's first modern wastewater treatment plant now is under operation, as well as a general increase in access to drinking water in the entire country. Water and sewer tariffs remain affordable, with the private water company Georgian Water and Power (GWP) serving the capital being financially viable and profitable, while the public water company serving most of the rest of the country remains financially weak. The improvements were achieved after the Rose Revolution of 2004 when the government decided to reform the sector and to invest in it after many years of neglect.
Georgia: Water and Sanitation | ||
---|---|---|
Data | ||
Access to an improved water source | 100% (2015) [1] | |
Access to improved sanitation | 86% (2015) [1] | |
Continuity of supply (%) | Continuous in Tbilisi, intermittent in many other cities and towns | |
Average urban water use (liter/capita/day) | 800 in Tbilisi (2013),[2] much lower in many other towns | |
Average residential water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3) | 0.15 (2014) in Tbilisi; 0.22 (2016) outside Tibilsi; | |
Share of household metering | 22% in Tbilisi | |
Annual investment in water supply and sanitation | ||
Sources of investment financing | Utility revenues, state budget and loans from international donors | |
Institutions | ||
Decentralization | No | |
Responsibility for policy setting | State Commission on Water Supply and Energy | |
Regulatory Agency | Georgia National Energy and Water Regulatory Commission | |
Sector law | ||
Service providers | Georgian Water and Power (GWP) in Tbilisi, various entities in Adjara and UWSCG in the remainder of the country |
Among the remaining challenges are poor service quality in many areas outside the two largest cities, a declining access to improved sanitation in rural areas according to survey results, and insufficient treatment of wastewater.