This paper is an empirical study of participatory development communication approaches adopted between developers and the host communities during the planning and execution of the water supply systems in Adiyan, Akute, Iju and Isashi communities in Ogun and Lagos States. The objective is to examine the extent to which bottom-up communication approaches have enhanced the planning, execution, and sustainability of water supply systems in these communities. It is anchored on two theories: Participatory Communication Theory, and the Self-Reliance Theory. A quantitative research design was adopted for the study, and this involved the use of questionnaire. The study found that the systems’ developer adopted the pseudo-participation approach of consultation during the planning, thus inferring that it applied the top-down communication strategy. It recommends that a national development charter be enacted to compel water supply systems’ developers or project donors to adopt bottom-up approaches, during the planning and execution of future development projects to enhance sustainability. Moreover, the systems’ developer should set up a host communities’ relations office to interface with and or communicate with the host communities.