The aim of our research is to study the persistent challenges of water distribution in a context where supply relies on a network of microentrepreneurs (MEs), often poorly recognized and unprotected at institutional level, but playing an essential role in the well-being, if not the survival, of the target populations. Our analysis focuses on the specific case of microentrepreneurs - working partially or totally in the informal sector - in the precarious districts of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). The central question could be formulated as follows: How can we improve the profitability of MEs by enabling them to move out of the informal sector?