Regideso

The Régie de Distribution d'Eau, abbreviated as REGIDESO, is a state-owned utility company located on Boulevard Du 30 Juin, in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is responsible for producing and distributing water throughout the national territory, encompassing both urban and rural areas. Established in 1929, REGIDESO operates autonomously within the Department of Mines and Energy under the government of the DRC.

History
REGIDESO, formerly called Société de distribution d’eau de Léopoldville, was established on November 18, 1929, with its headquarters in Brussels, to provide drinking water to the colonial settlers. A royal decree by the Belgian Minister for the colonies established a water distribution company for the colony on March 28, 1933. Urban authorities in Boma, Matadi, Léopoldville (now Kinshasa), Coquilhatville (now Mbandaka), and Stanleyville (now Kisangani) were entrusted with operating, developing, and modernizing water distribution. In 1939, a colonial public company was created by a royal decree of December 30, responsible for water and electricity distribution across Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi, named Régie de Distribution d’Eau et d’Electricité du Congo-Belge et Rwanda-Burundi. The new entity had a legal personality, granting its management autonomy and expanding its sphere of operation and objectives.

Following the country's independence from Belgium, the newly established entity underwent significant changes. The decree of August 25, 1966, nullified the decree of December 30, 1939, and established a new public institution named "REGIDESO," headquartered in Gombe, Kinshasa. The scope of operation and registered office changed, while the corporate purpose remained consistent. The new company continued to manage water distribution services, ancillary facilities for water supply, pumping, water sterilization, operation of power stations, and electricity distribution networks solely on behalf of the Republic of Zaire.

The management of REGIDESO was privatized two years after its creation through Ordinance-Law n° 68 - 116 of March 29, 1968. The management was entrusted to the Belgian public limited company "La COMMIERE" for five years, but the contract was terminated after two years due to legal disputes involving Lorhon.

In 1978, the Government decided to transfer all operations related to the production and distribution of electrical energy to the national electricity company Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL), effective from January 1, 1979. Consequently, REGIDESO shifted its focus to the operation and growth of the drinking water sector.