re-blogged with thanks from Water for Good
sub·si·dy
A sum of money granted by the state or a public body to help an industry or business keep the price of a commodity or service low
— Oxford English Dictionary
Rural Water Services ARE Subsidized
Even the United States has subsidies for rural water services. This doesn’t make something unsustainable. However, it does create a critical need for clarity of the total cost of the services, how it is funded, and how it will continue to be funded. There also needs to be a good definition of what the costs are (CapEx vs OpEx vs CapManEx). Thankfully our friends at IRC have laid this out here.
Rural Water Supply Network - blog 