Around the world today, nearly 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation. Clean water and sanitation form the cornerstone for healthy, sustainable communities. They are also drivers for progress for a range of critical developmental needs in emerging markets, including education, economic growth, nutrition, environmental conservation, and gender equality. The private sector has an important role to play as a provider of sustainable solutions in the clean water and sanitation field. This talk focuses upon the linkages between clean water, sanitation and growth in emerging markets and will highlight some innovative social enterprises that are successfully addressing the global water and sanitation challenge in the developing world.