ABSTRACT
Drinking and wastewater services are provided by local public water utilities, which come in different forms: separately, one drinking and one wastewater utility; integrated; or as part of a larger urban utility that includes electricity, gas, waste management, cable TV, and others. Liberalization of the water sector – both drinking water and wastewater – takes the form of competition for the market, franchising, and public-private partnership. The contracts are highly sophisticated, but an unequal power relationship exists between the big multinational water companies and the municipalities. The idea of managing a river basin combines economics with ecology: downstream water utilities have to clean the water more if upstream water is discharged without sufficient cleaning. A “river basin” is a catchment area and reflects an ecologically defined geographical area. River basins typically cut across many countries. Many regulations worldwide pertain to water affordability, accessibility, and equity.
