Objective To analyze the management of rural water plants financed by the World Bank for establishing more reasonable and efficient management modes for rural water supply plants.

Methods Using field survey and interview method to investigate 1 639 rural water plants, and the data were processed by descriptive and relative analysis.

Results About 90% of water sources of rural water plants were underground water, and the scales of water plants in the range of 200~1 000 m³/d and 20~200 m³/d were accounted for 29.77% and 57.35% respectively. The ownership of rural water plants were village committees and township collective groups, accounted for 71% and 12%, respectively. The profitability of running rural water plants was low and about 25% of plants were running under deficit. The profitability of joint stock companies and private water supply enterprises was better. The water was disinfected in 47.74% of water plants. The water in more than one half of water plants run by appointees was not disinfected.

Conclusion Over 87% of rural water supply facilities are small-scaled with a supplying capability of below 1 000 m³/d. Village committees and township collective groups were the main owners of property rights for rural water supply facilities currently. Suitable management modes for rural water plants were related to the scale and the quasi-public character. A few rural water plants were running in low profitability, and the management modes, water price structure and leakage rate might be the main reasons affected the financial status.