The General Department of Potable Water is the Secretariat to the Ministry responsible for the management and development of the clean water sector to provide quality, safe, sustainable and affordable clean water supply services in order to contribute to the promotion of public welfare and inclusive people's livelihood as well as to support the development of various national economic sectors.

The main responsibilities of the General Department are as following:

• Establish, formulate, implement and enforce laws and other regulatory instruments, policies, national strategic plans, master plans and action plans for leading and managing clean water sector;
• Develop technical standards for clean water supply systems and other guidelines and implement technical regulations to ensure efficiency in the clean water supply services;
• Lead the development of short, medium and long-term plans of all water supply operators to ensure the achievement the Royal Government's direction and goals of the clean water sector;
• Implement the Guideline on Climate Resilient Water Safety Plans for water treatment plant and water quality monitoring;
• Conduct economic and social regulation to ensure equitable protection of the interests of all stakeholders.

The General Department of Potable Water provide serves as following:

1. Permits to conduct a Feasibility Study of clean water supply business projects
2. Licensing of clean water supply business
3. Issuing Certificates of Operation for clean water supply business

The General Department has 5 (five) departments under the authority:

• Department of Wrap up and Information (DWIN)
• Department of Planning and Data Management (DPDM)
• Department of Potable Water Policy (DWPO)
• Department of Technics and Project Management (DTPM)
• Department of Potable Water Regulation (DPWR)

Achievements

There are 418 of water supply providers across the country have been operated, those including 11 public water utilities namely, Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority, Siem Reap Water Supply Authority, Stung Treng Water Utility, Battambang Water Utility, Kampong Cham Water Utility, Stung Sen Water Utility, Kampot Water Utility, Mondulkiri Water Utility, Pursat Water Utility, Svay Rieng Water Utility and Staung-Tang Krasaing Water Utility; and 407 are private operators.

In 2023, all operators produced and supplied a total of approximately 461 million cubic meters of clean water to 1,307,810 customers, equivalent to approximately 6.5 million people nationwide.