Objective of this study was to reconnoitre existing rural water supply infrastructure in West Bengal between 2009 and 2014, which is indispensable for laying out the strategies for sustainable water management and human development but currently is lacking. Results indicated that West Bengal ranked 21st in India in 2014 in terms ofreceiving ‘full coverage’ (FC: 40 litres of piped water supply per capita per day; lpcd) as compared to 11th in 2009. In districts of Bardhaman, Birbhum, Cooch Bihar, Hoogli, Puruliya, Dinajpurs, over three-fourth of blocks lacked FC in over 50% of rural habitations. Additionally, in 14 districts water supply services have ‘slipped-back’ between 2012 and 2014: dropping from 40 lpcd (FC) to <40 lpcd, which challenges well-being of a vast cross-section of populace. Overall, the study indicated growing concerns that need to be addressed with region-specific knowledge of natural and human-induced factors. Such studies should also be performed in other parts of India, threatened by similar ‘inadequacies’.