📋 Tender Overview
Diagnosis prepared by Sunass and the Peace Corps warns of challenges in sustainability, chlorination and coverage in the smallest and most dispersed population centers in the country.Access to drinking water and sanitation in rural areas of Peru has made significant progress, although it still faces structural challenges with coverage, service quality, and the sustainability of the systems. This is revealed by the study Diagnosis of the provision of drinking water and sanitation services in rural areas, prepared by the National Superintendency of Sanitation Services (Sunass), with support from the Peace Corps.
The document presents a comprehensive x-ray of 80,720 rural population centers in the country, characterized by their high territorial dispersion and small population. According to the study, 81.5% of these towns have up to 200 inhabitants and more than 72% are concentrated in the mountains.
One of the main findings is that 68% of the rural population - equivalent to 7.05 million people - has access to drinking water service. Additionally, 75% of drinking water systems provide continuity of service 24 hours a day, reflecting important efforts to keep systems operational in hard-to-reach areas.
However, the diagnosis shows significant gaps, especially in smaller population centers. 64% of rural localities still do not have a drinking water system and depend on alternative sources such as springs, wells, rivers or external supplies. In communities with between 1 and 50 inhabitants, only 32% of the population accesses the service, while in population centers with more than 500 inhabitants, coverage exceeds 70%.
In relation to water quality, the study indicates that 68% of drinking water systems carry out chlorination processes and 60% monitor residual chlorine. However, only 55% reach adequate levels of residual chlorine to guarantee safe water for human consumption, which reflects the need to strengthen technical capacities, equipment and assistance to rural operators.
Regarding sanitation, the report warns that only 29% of rural population centers have any sanitation system and that, within this group, only 31% have sewage. Given this, basic sanitation units (UBS) have become the main alternative for thousands of rural families.
Despite these advances, unsafe sanitary practices still persist among part of the rural population, such as the use of blind wells or the disposal of excreta in open fields, mainly in remote and dispersed locations.
The study also highlights the key role of community organizations, responsible for 92.7% of the provision of rural services. These organizations operate in complex contexts and with limited resources. Although 79% charge an average family fee of S/6.8 per month to sustain the service, the report identifies challenges with late payment, equipment and financial sustainability.
The research was developed with official information from the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation, through the DATASS platform as of June 2025, the Web System of the Municipal Technical Areas (ATM) and demographic variables from the INEI, consolidating technical evidence to guide public policies and regulatory decisions for the benefit of the rural population. The study can be reviewed at the following link: https://www.gob.pe/es/i/7763416
