Water supply is subject to interruptions, due to the reduction of available supply at the distribution level. These more or less important incurred water shortages can have negative impacts on public health, the economy and the environment. The risk of water shortage is due to either the inadequacy of infrastructure or to natural phenomena, such as sedimentation in reservoirs or successive droughts, which were not taken into account in planning.

Rationalization of water use did not have notable effects on urban and rural population consumption. Only small variations in water quality were observed; however required standards for potable water quality were not exceeded. Deficits in surface water are usually met through the exploitation of groundwater resources.

Groundwater resources in the coastal areas of southern Tunisia often exhibit high salt concentration and can be used only after their desalination or for municipal uses such as irrigation of parks and green spaces and street cleaning. Such reserves are often encountered in deep aquifers. Exploitation costs are significant, when the piezometric level is deep and the specific yield is low.

Agriculture is the main water consumer; the situation will not be reversed up to 2030, and even if the growth of irrigated perimeters remains low during the period 2005-2030. In some regions, where at present irrigation remains an important water use, irrigated agriculture may disappear due to the low availability of water resources and the highly valued alternative land uses, which are the main factors affecting the viability of irrigated perimeters. However, irrigated agriculture can still be developed in other regions with high water availability if a more economically efficient allocation of other production inputs is attained.

Tunisia is bound to face a deficit between exploitable water resources and water demand. Such a deficit cannot be met through water conservation or non-conventional water resources, such as sea-water desalination and wastewater reuse. Available resources in the country are more and more vulnerable to risks resulting from successive droughts and climate change.

With regard to irrigation water pricing, up to 1970 water was granted to farmers free of charge, with the aim to encourage agricultural activities and increase the value of agricultural land. Since 1970, public irrigation perimeters are managed by the National Agricultural Development Utilities, established at the governorate level or at the river basin level. At present, the real cost of water comprises operation and maintenance costs and the costs for the rehabilitation/renewal of infrastructure. The current governmental policy with regard to irrigation water pricing aims primarily at the recovery of operation and maintenance costs. The aim is to ensure the financial sustainability of water utilities, while at the same time provide better services to farmers. In 1996, the recovery of operation and maintenance costs reached a global equilibrium at the national level, due to the regular increase of 15% in irrigation water tariffs since 1991. However, the recovery of operation, maintenance and renewal costs did not exceed 60%.

It is expected that future pricing policies for irrigation water will lead to the intensification of agricultural activities in the irrigated perimeters and orient farmers towards the application of water conservation measures.

Before 1968, water pricing was uniform for all users. After the establishment of SONEDE, a distinction was made between households, tourist facilities and the sugar, textile and steel industry. This approach prevailed up to 1974, when an IBT pricing system, distinguishing between consumption blocks and user types was established.

Future pricing systems should maintain the concepts of social equity and access to basic water services, such as sanitation and health. At the same time they should not hinder economic development but also ensure financial sustainability of water service providers. The application of appropriate pricing policies may be beneficial in the exploitation of water in the agricultural, industrial and tourism sectors agriculture, industry and tourism.

There is need for the reorganisation of SONEDE and ONAS in order to ensure their financial autonomy, allowing also for the privatisation of (some) of their responsibilities. Such a reorganisation may be realised through the creation of large hydraulic regions.

There is some overlap in responsibility between water authorities and water institutions; however responsibilities are generally complementary and coherently allocated.