The Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) is responsible for water supply in Greater Freetown. The assignment of the responsibility for water supply outside Freetown is ambiguous. According to the 1988 law that created the Sierra Leone Water Company (Salwaco), the company is responsible for water supply in the entire country except the capital.

The Local Government Act of 2004 devolved the responsibility for water supply to local councils. Local councils consist of 12 District Councils for each district of Sierra Leone and 6 town Councils in Freetown, Bo, Bonthe, Kenema, Koidu (Kono District) and Makeni (Bombali District). Where the towns are part of districts, it seems that the district councils are only in charge of the rural areas outside the towns.