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Water vending is probably as old as human society and trade, but in recent centuries it has been overshadowed by the expansion of networked piped systems. Water vending is now often taken as a symptom of a failure in these piped systems, which still provide water to only a minority of urban dwellers in many parts of the world. When collecting international statistics on access to water, those who buy their water from a vendor are classified as not having reasonable access to an improved water supply, along with people who get their water from unimproved wells or surface-water sources. In many cities, water vending is actively discouraged.

Recent research indicates, however, that non-utility water vendors (henceforth simply water vendors) provide an important service. By suppressing water vending, there is a danger that authorities are making it still more difficult for deprived residents to obtain water. By assuming that vendor water is inherently inadequate, important opportunities for improvement are being ignored. On the other hand, assuming that water vending is inherently desirable is also problematic. The challenge is not to promote or suppress water vending, any more than it is to promote or suppress private-sector participation in utility operations. The challenge is to improve currently inadequate water and sanitation services, through the most effective means available, including water vending where appropriate.