He 75.7% of households in Guatemala have access to improved sources of water supply, according to the National Survey of Living Conditions (Encovi) 2023. This means that there are pipe inside or outside homes or access to a public stream.
But having water does not guarantee that it is safe for consumption.
There is 12 thousand 777 supply systems of water distributed in the 22 departments of the country. In 2025, the Ministry of Health monitored 6 thousand 412 and found that more than half do not meet quality standards.
According to the latest Early Warning bulletin on food and nutritional insecurity, the measurement was made between January and December of last year and concluded that seven out of 10 of the systems under monitoring were contaminated with microorganismssuch as total coliforms—bacteria found in the soil—, fecal coliforms—present in the intestine and feces of warm-blooded animals—and E. coli.
Oliverio Paau, director of Drinking Water, Sanitation, Health and Environment of the Ministry of Health, points out that of the 12,777 supply systems in the country, the 75% is self-managed by water committees, civil society organizations and Community Development Councils (Cocodes), which often do not have the capacity to implement disinfection and chlorination processes that allow safe water to be brought to homes.
Polluted water and hunger: a serious combination
The Early Warning report on food and nutritional insecurity warns of the effects of the period of seasonal hungerwhen rural households exhaust their food reserves and are left with less money to supply themselves. Childhood is the hardest hit in that period.
The lack of access to safe water has a direct relationship with the malnutrition in childhood, since consuming contaminated water puts them at risk of contracting diarrheal diseases acute events that increase nutrient loss.
“One of the factors that can contribute to worsening a case of malnutrition is untreated water. Therefore, the issue of water and sanitation is part of the comprehensive approach to malnutrition to reduce and mitigate the risk in children,” says Paau.
The report from the Ministry of Health, as of March 28, indicates that Suchitepequez It is the department with the highest risk of presenting acute malnutrition in children under five years of age, with a rate of 65 cases per 10 thousand children.
The population in that department has little chance of consuming safe water. According to reports, there are 305 supply systems, but the Ministry of Health only monitored 28. Of these, only three guaranteed safe consumption, while the other 25 were contaminated with microorganisms.
The Ministry of Health must ensure that the water in the supply systems is suitable for human consumption. At the same time, the Health Code (Decree 90-97), in its article 79, establishes that municipalities are obliged to provide drinking water to the communities. The Municipal Code, in article 68, adds that this must be supplied “properly chlorinated.”
In practice, this is not always true. Projects related to the improvement and expansion of drinking water systems in the departments are counted against the findings of Health monitoring. Suchitepéquez registers 20 projects in process and in eight the drilling of wells is planned. The investment amounts to Q38 million 359 thousand, according to the Transparency portal of the Departmental Development Councils (Codede).
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The water quality is poorest in Retalhuleu. In the department there are 153 supply systems, of which Health evaluated 77 and only three yielded satisfactory results; he 96.10% was contaminated.
In Retalhuleu, the acute malnutrition It is also a threat to children under five years of age. The official report places it in fourth position of the departments where there are more children at risk of presenting this condition. The rate reaches 56.85 per 10 thousand infants.
Although it is the department with the most contaminated supply systems, according to Health, only planned for this year are 11 projects related to improvement, expansion and construction of drinking water systems. These are works that began in 2025, for an amount of Q16 million 884 thousand.
Paau explains that when the measurements of the supply systems are not satisfactory, the Ministry of Health is responsible for establishing corrective measures so that the technical standards for disinfection or treatment are met. However, when the systems are managed by committees or Cocodes, the corrections are not immediate, since the costs are borne by the communities. The quickest exit is health education through health services so that water can be boiled or chlorinated in homes.
Contaminated water limits nutritional cross
Water quality conditions were also part of the evaluation of the Great National Crusade for Nutrition (GCNN), a plan that was implemented in 2020-2024 to reduce chronic childhood malnutrition and improve the health and nutrition of the vulnerable population. The findings show the situation in 115 prioritized municipalities where the strategy was developed.
In 70% of homes, the water was contaminated with bacteria. In more than 90%, fecal coliforms were detected – that is, residues associated with fecal matter – and in more than a third E.colia microorganism that can cause intestinal diseases.
Given this reality, Paau points out that, as part of the National Water Quality Surveillance Plan, the Ministry of Health seeks to increase the monitoring of the resource and that 75% of the supply systems self-managed by committees, civil organizations and Cocodes can install a disinfection component for the safety of the population.