Abstract
Access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and clean water is a fundamental human right. This paper assessed the status of water supply and household access to water as well as interrogates extant institutional arrangement for water supply in rural communities in Cross River State. A random sample of 376 households participated in the survey of household water access. Focus Group Discussion was held with representatives from the State Water Corporation, community leaders and other stakeholders in the water sector to explore their experiences and identify factors hampering effective water supply in the area. Findings showed an abysmally poor status of water supply by the State water agency as households relied largely on water sourced from distant streams and rivers. Water supply by the State's Water and Sanitation Agency remains a mirage due to inadequate water infrastructure, dysfunctional or poorly maintained boreholes, lack of equity and fairness in borehole distribution and corruption. Based on these findings, it is recommended that reforms in the water sector should be prioritized by the State Government. The State water and sanitation agency should be unbundled to encourage local participation and private investment in water infrastructure in rural areas.