Regulation of Urban Water Services. An Overview

Regulation of Urban Water Services. An Overview

Author: Enrique Cabrera Marcet

Publisher: IWA Publishing

Published: 2016-09-15

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 178040817X

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Technical regulation of urban water services: The Portuguese regulatory model of water and wastewater services. An integrated approach; Experiences and conclusions from regulation in England and Wales; Experiences and conclusions from regulation in Australia; Experiences and conclusions from regulation in Denmark; Experiences and conclusions from regulation in Latin America; The German benchmarking experience. An alternative to regulation; The assessment of water services from the point of view of multilateral organizations. The experience of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); Regulation in Spain from the perspective of the urban water services; Reasons that justify the regulation of urban water services in Spain; Can a regulator contribute to solve the problems of the urban water cycle in Spain?; Regulatory models. Conclusions


Water Consumption, Tariffs and Regulation

Water Consumption, Tariffs and Regulation

Author: Francesc Hernandez-Sancho

Publisher: IWA Publishing

Published: 2018-05-15

Total Pages: 188

ISBN-13: 1780404670

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Water Consumption, Tariffs and Regulation aims to provide a statistical overview about water abstraction, consumption, tariffs and data on sewage and wastewater treatment at an international level. It is mainly based on the statistical information provided by IWA Specialist Group on Statistics and Economics. The book is structured in three main parts. Part I presents tables and figures relative to water consumption and sanitation status and focuses on water abstraction, water delivered, water consumption and the evolution of sewer connection and wastewater treatment. Part II focuses on the analysis of water tariffs by investigating the structure of water tariffs by analysing the importance of the variable and fixed charge. It presents drinking water tariffs and illustrates the relationship between tariffs and GDP and also the size of the cities. Finally, charges in wastewater are dealt with country by country. Part III analyses the main aspects relative to water regulation and describes the importance of private operators in the management of the water cycle. Information relative to the principles used to fix drinking water prices is presented with an assessment of access to public water services.


Regulating Water and Sanitation for the Poor

Regulating Water and Sanitation for the Poor

Author: Richard Franceys

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-05-04

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1136558896

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'This excellent book makes a major contribution to the literature on regulation in a pro-poor direction for urban water supply. It is extremely relevant for policy-makers striving to achieve the Millennium Development Goal for halving the share of world's population without access to clean and affordable water.' Andrew Nickson, University of Birmingham, UK The aim of this book is to present the potential benefits as well as the challenges of introducing a more formal economic regulatory process into the urban water sector arena in lower-income countries. There is a particular focus upon the impact this may have on the poorest, the informal, slum and shanty dwellers of the rapidly growing cities. Economic regulation, usually introduced in the context of private operation of monopoly water supply, can deliver objectivity and transparency in the price-setting process for public as well as private providers. The book describes and analyses these issues through a consideration of ten country case studies. As a starting point, the current situation for the provision of water and sanitation services for the poorest through non-regulated public providers in India and Uganda is reviewed. Comparative chapters are then presented on Ghana, Philippines, Bolivia, Jordan, Zambia and Indonesia, all with varying degrees of private sector involvement and regulation. Finally the experiences of two richer countries are considered - Chile and England, countries with the longest experience of economic regulation and the 'most privatized' suppliers. In all cases there is a focus on the very necessary role of customer involvement in price-setting and service monitoring and on the role of alternative (private) service providers.


Manual on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation for Practitioners

Manual on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation for Practitioners

Author: Robert Bos

Publisher: IWA Publishing

Published: 2016-08-15

Total Pages: 120

ISBN-13: 1780407432

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The Manual highlights the human rights principles and criteria in relation to drinking water and sanitation. It explains the international legal obligations in terms of operational policies and practice that will support the progressive realisation of universal access. The Manual introduces a human rights perspective that will add value to informed decision making in the daily routine of operators, managers and regulators. It also encourages its readership to engage actively in national dialogues where the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation are translated into national and local policies, laws and regulations. Creating such an enabling environment is, in fact, only the first step in the process towards progressive realisation. Allocation of roles and responsibilities is the next step, in an updated institutional and operational set up that helps apply a human rights lens to the process of reviewing and revising the essential functions of operators, service providers and regulators.


Privatization of Water Services in the United States

Privatization of Water Services in the United States

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2002-08-20

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13: 0309170761

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In the quest to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of water and wastewater services, many communities in the United States are exploring the potential advantages of privatization of those services. Unlike other utility services, local governments have generally assumed responsibility for providing water services. Privatization of such services can include the outright sale of system assets, or various forms of public-private partnershipsâ€"from the simple provision of supplies and services, to private design construction and operation of treatment plants and distribution systems. Many factors are contributing to the growing interest in the privatization of water services. Higher operating costs, more stringent federal water quality and waste effluent standards, greater customer demands for quality and reliability, and an aging water delivery and wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure are all challenging municipalities that may be short of funds or technical capabilities. For municipalities with limited capacities to meet these challenges, privatization can be a viable alternative. Privatization of Water Services evaluates the fiscal and policy implications of privatization, scenarios in which privatization works best, and the efficiencies that may be gained by contracting with private water utilities.


Public Private Partnerships for Urban Water Utilities

Public Private Partnerships for Urban Water Utilities

Author: Philippe Marin

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2009-09-22

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 0821379577

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'Public-Private Partnerships for Urban Water Utilities: A Review of Experiences in Developing Countries' analyzes the market growth of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the developing world since 1990, and the performance of more than 65 large water PPP projects representing more than 100 million people for access, service quality, operational efficiency, and tariff levels. Although a relatively small portion of the water utilities in the developing world are operated under PPPs (about 7 percent in 2007), the urban population served by private water operators has grown every year since 1990. Despite many difficulties encountered by PPP projects and a few contract terminations, a large majority of contracts awarded since 1990 are still in place. The track record for improving service and efficiency reaffirms the value of PPPs to help turn around poorly performing water utilities, even though the level of private financing did not match initial expectations. Over time, a more realistic market has developed, the number of private investors from developing countries has grown, and contract designs have become more pragmatic concerning risk allocations between partners. The water sector has many features that set it apart from other infrastructure sectors. This book suggests the need for careful consideration of those specificities to successfully involve private operators. Although concessions with private financing have worked in a few places, contractual arrangements that combine private operation with public financing appear to be the most sustainable option in many countries. Policy makers, stakeholders, and donors need to remain heavily engaged in the water sector, especially in the poorest countries and during a global financial crisis. This book contributes to a better understanding of the various options to tackle the many challenges of providing water and sanitation services to urban populations in the developing world.


The Oxford Handbook of Regulation

The Oxford Handbook of Regulation

Author: Robert Baldwin

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2012-07-19

Total Pages: 680

ISBN-13: 019162943X

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Regulation is often thought of as an activity that restricts behaviour and prevents the occurrence of certain undesirable activities, but the influence of regulation can also be enabling or facilitative, as when a market could potentially be chaotic if uncontrolled. This Handbook provides a clear and authoritative discussion of the major trends and issues in regulation over the last thirty years, together with an outline of prospective developments. It brings together contributions from leading scholars from a range of disciplines and countries. Each chapter offers a broad overview of key current issues and provides an analysis of different perspectives on those issues. Experiences in different jurisdictions and insights from various disciplines are drawn upon, and particular attention is paid to the challenges that are encountered when specific approaches are applied in practice. Contributors develop their own distinctive arguments relating to the central issues in regulation and apply scholarly rigour and clear writing to matters of high policy-relevance. The essays are original, accessible, and agenda-setting, and the Handbook will be essential reading both to students and researchers and to with regulatory and regulated professionals.


Nature for Water: A Series of Utility Spotlights

Nature for Water: A Series of Utility Spotlights

Author: Jessica Ertel

Publisher: IWA Publishing

Published: 2019-11-15

Total Pages: 64

ISBN-13: 1789060818

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By 2025, two thirds of the world’s population will be living in water stressed conditions. Meanwhile, the degradation of water ecosystems is occurring at alarming rates. Water utilities and water regulators that choose to play an active role in catchment management with nature based solutions (NBS) are uniquely positioned to help. Building a robust knowledge base and supporting opportunities for cross-sector collaboration are fundamental to the mainstreaming of NBS. The International Water Association (IWA) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are working together to encourage and facilitate active utility involvement in NBS, as well as promoting stronger connections between water utilities and regulatory bodies. Implementation of NBS involves multiple, interdependent stakeholders at various governance levels, and consequently regulators a key role in creating the enabling environments for these interactions and negotiations. This publication taps into diverse geographies and contexts, delving into case studies for a richer conversation that addresses the variety of challenges and elements for success for integrating NBS into water utility operations and planning. By publicizing successful case studies, the IWA/TNC partnership fulfils a dual purpose of endorsing these efforts and providing actionable guidance for other water utilities striving to improve their sustainability and resiliency.