To assess the general situation and dynamics of utility water-service versus private self-supply, it was found necessary to take a city-by-city approach, where possible establishing links with local groundwater specialists and water utility contacts. Although time-consuming this approach has been attempted on a pilot scale for the 6 selected cities featured in this report (Lusaka & Kabwe, Dar-es-Salaam & Arusha, Accra & Kumasi). For the appraisal of whether ‘open access’ to groundwater favours or impedes water-supply provision for poorer households specific surveys in this regard, where they existed for example in parts of Lusaka (2009) and Accra (2015), was found to be of greatest relevance.