Special Issue on:Water utility regulation in developed countries

摘要

Regulation of water utilities in developed countries has dramatically changed over the last two decades. increased activity in the areas of water utility commercialization; corporatization and privatization is associated with changes in stakeholder participation. the resulting changes in governance structures have underscored the need for regulatory oversight. several countries have created agencies with regulatory responsibilities over water utilities—primarily intended to correct existing market failures and promote the public interest. the complexity of the water sector and the interaction between the different actors has resulted in a very substantial political component being assigned to regulation: a to provide value for money; and to establish a balance between tariff setting; quality of service; public services obligations (access) and environmental sustainability. policy-makers in developed countries try to achieve these objects; in some cases implementing very comprehensive regulatory models; including incentive regulation for cost-containment; benchmarking studies to identify strong and weak performers; targets for service quality; guaranteed standard schemes; and strict environmental regulations. these initiatives often emphasize principles of accountability; transparency; and participation.