在Umgeni Water的供水区域，只有大约60%的人口能够获得安全的供水，而拥有足够卫生设施的人口比例较低。本文介绍了Umgeni Water在过去十年中在其供应领域开展的工作，旨在解决为无法获得这一基本服务的人提供安全供水的问题，以及最近解决提供足够卫生设施的问题。一般来说，在南非，生活在农村地区的人没有提供基本服务的地方或地区当局。他们在决策过程中也没有发言权。Umgeni Water一直试图让居民参与决策过程，最初是通过提供安全的水。已经制定了六个阶段的程序，让当地社区参与供水开发。根据社区的特点，使用各种管理和融资或客户支付模式。 最近，Umgeni取得了突破性进展，通过社区和青年教育让农村居民相信需要适当的卫生设施。除了巫统努力向当地居民“推销”安全饮用水和卫生设施的理念外，作者还简要讨论了该组织在这一领域的长期规划。

In Umgeni Water's area of supply only about 60 percent of the population have access to a safe supply of water and a lesser percentage have adequate sanitation facilities. This paper presents the work Umgeni Water has been undertaking in its area of supply, over the last ten years in an attempt to address the issue of the provision of a safe water supply to those who do not have access to this essential service and lately to address the issue of the provision of adequate sanitation facilities. Generally in South Africa people living in rural areas have no local or regional authority that provides essential services. They also have no say in decision making processes. Umgeni Water has been trying to involve residents in decision making process, initially by providing safe water. A six-stage process has developed to involve local communities in the development of water supply. Various management and financing or customer payment models are used depending on the characteristics of the community. Recently Umgeni has had a breakthrough convincing rural people of the need for proper sanitation facilities through community and youth education. In addition to Umgeni's efforts to "sell" local residents the idea of safe water and sanitation, the author briefly discusses the organization's long-term planning in this area.