West Africa Voice | Monrovia
Monrovia — Liberia is facing a deepening water crisis that is hiding in plain sight. According to the report, only about 10 percent of the population has access to safely managed drinking water, leaving nearly 90 percent of citizens exposed to unsafe or unreliable sources.
The report indicates that 2025 figures from Liberia’s National WASH Commission and global monitoring systems expose a troubling contradiction: a country rich in water resources, yet unable to provide safe drinking water for the vast majority of its people.
The report further reveals that more than 70 percent of Liberians rely on what are classified as “improved” water sources, including hand pumps, shallow wells, and communal taps. However, sector experts caution that this classification can be misleading.
Findings from the report show that many of these water sources are highly vulnerable to contamination, particularly during the rainy season, due to poor maintenance, overcrowding, and weak sanitation systems.
The consequences are already evident.
Data contained in the report links unsafe drinking water to persistent cases of diarrhea and other waterborne diseases, which remain among the leading causes of illness, especially among children.
“This is not just a service gap — it is a national public health emergency,” a WASH sector expert in Monrovia said. “When nearly 9 out of 10 people lack safe water, the implications cut across every sector.”
Liberia’s water challenge is not about scarcity.
The report underscores that despite high rainfall and abundant natural water sources, the crisis is driven by structural challenges, including aging infrastructure, limited investment, and weak service delivery systems.
The report notes that rural communities remain heavily dependent on donor-supported hand pumps, many of which fall into disrepair due to lack of maintenance.
For ordinary Liberians, the burden is immediate and unrelenting.
Evidence presented in the report highlights that women and children continue to walk long distances daily in search of water, often sacrificing time for school and economic activities. In urban areas, households frequently pay for water that is neither treated nor guaranteed to be safe.
Despite ongoing interventions, progress remains slow.
The report warns that the gap between access to water and access to safe water continues to widen, raising concerns about Liberia’s ability to meet global development targets.