Surveys of village hydraulics in Sahelian countries (Chad excepted) show that only 25-30% of the region's rural populace has adequate access to potable water. Although greater knowledge of water resources and wider local participation are beginning to improve the supply structure, the latter remains burdened by poor planning, the inadequacy of the parastatals, weak maintenance, and inadequately monitored subcontracting work. Sahelian countries can enhance the availability of clean water at an acceptable cost if they: (1) establish systems to collect, store, and process subsurface water data; (2) devote limited administrative resources and equipment to planning and supervision while utilizing the implementation capabilities of official, private, or mixed firms; (3) improve resource management and reduce costs by regionalizing programs and judiciously selecting types of facilities and equipment; (4) promote local participation in system design and maintenance; and (5) undertake supporting activities in management and maintenance training, health improvement, and economic development.