Water supply in Covid-19 times: the role of public operators, housing associations and informal providers in Arequipa, Peru

We explore responses of water supply providers during the first stage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Arequipa, Peru, contrasting actions by the public water company, dominant in the city core, and by neighbourhood associations, dominant in the unplanned periphery. The water company implemented instalment payments, the suspension of water shutoffs and the distribution of free water giving priority to the core districts. On the periphery, neighbourhood associations continued to depend mostly on water trucks under irregular and expensive service. The pandemic made more evident the fragmented nature of water supply in cities of the Global South such as Arequipa.

Automated summary

During the first stage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Arequipa, Peru, the water supply providers responded differently. The public water company in the city core implemented instalment payments, suspended water shutoffs, and distributed free water, while neighbourhood associations in the unplanned periphery mainly relied on irregular and expensive water truck services. This highlighted the fragmented nature of water supply in cities of the Global South like Arequipa.