Machakos district falls under the arid and semi-arid parts of Kenya. Data on households from the district reveal significant variations in the relative importance of different water sources across sampled localities. Open water sources more prone to contamination are more popular during the dry season. Nearness to a water source and opportunities for multiple applications at the source are important considerations in choosing a source. Averages distances, frequency of water-fetching trips and the number of persons per trip vary marginally between the wet and dry seasons. Contingent valuation leads to the conclusion that households in the district attach considerable importance to existing sources of water. The domestic demand for water is modest but positively influenced by household size, the proportion of females in the household, female headship and the household’s prosperity. On the other hand, the number of children in a household and distance to the water source exert negative influences on the domestic demand for water.