ABSTRACT
Industrialised countries are of course confronted with very different problems than developing countries and transitional economies when it comes to water resources management. In most cases, water and sanitation coverage is not far from 100 per cent and, paradoxically, this is precisely the problem most states and municipalities are now confronted with, given the needs for investment, but also increased financial pressure for operations and maintenance. In addition to having reached a moment where water distribution and sewerage dating back to the 1950s and 1960s now must be renewed, most industrialised countries are also undergoing substantial public sector reforms. State subsidies decline and, as in developing countries, decentralisation policies are being put into place, leaving local municipalities with the burden of infrastructure management and/or development. As in the South, therefore, private sector participation in water resources management appears to be the next logical step.
