The Ministry of Water Supply, Nepal (MoWS) on 7 March 2025 (Friday) organized Water and Sanitation (WASH) Regulation 2025 Dissemination and Discussion Workshop in Kathmandu with 12 pilot service providers in establishing the regulatory structure and operating processes.

“The 12 service providers are lucky to be piloting the recently promulgated WASH Regulation in the first phase,” said Ms. Pramila Devi Shakya Bajracharya, Secretary at MoWS at the event supported by United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and technical support from WaterLinks. The Water and Sanitation Regulation was promulgated on 23 January 2025.

“The WASH Regulation is not yet perfect, but it is still open for amendments,” Secretary Bajracharya added. Waterlinks and UN-Habitat, which is also the Secretariat of CWISAN (an alliance of organizations working on Citywide Inclusive Sanitation) had been supporting MoWS right from drafting the Regulation since 2022.

The 12 pilots service providers includes: 1) Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) in Khumaltar, Lalitpur; 2) KUKL in New Baneshwore, Kathmandu; 3) Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) in Lahan; 4) NWSC in Butwal; 5) Bharatpur Water Supply Management Board; 6) Hetauda Water Supply Management Board; 7) Jwalamukhi Rural Drinking WASH Board, Dhading; 8) Water and Sanitation Users Committee (WSUC) in Kakarvitta; 9) WSUC in Kawasuti, Nawalparasi; 10) Project Implementation Directorate (PID) in Guheshwori, Kathmandu; 11) Birendranagar Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP); 12) Waling FSTP.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha, Deputy Director of Gates Foundation appreciated the promulgation of WASH Regulation 2025 and provided credit to women leadership in the WASH Sector in Nepal that is delivering positive results compared to other nations in the region. He also praised the role played by local governments in Nepal on safe and inclusive sanitation.

“We are here to learn about the regulatory provisions, and it will be useful to solve the problems that we are facing at the ground level up to the service provider,” said Gopal Chandra Budhathoki, Mayor, Mechinagar Municipality. 

Apart from representatives from the 12 utilities, the event was also attended by Mayor of Mechinagar Municipality, Gopal Chandra Budathoki, and Mayor of Waling Municipality, Krishna Khand, as well as Chairperson of Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality, Yamnath Danai.

Since there are persistent data gaps within the regulatory bodies at local level, some of the recommendations laid out during the group work at the workshop are: Targeted Follow-ups for Data Accuracy, Investment in Infrastructure, Urgent Regulatory and Policy Reforms, and Capacity Building and Monitoring Enhancements. On the other hand, to improve operational efficiency, including the operations and maintenance (O&M), human resource development, and asset rehabilitation, the sectors stakeholders should adopt a coordinated approach that integrates infrastructure investments, financing strategies, technological advancements, and capacity-building initiatives.