Open AccessUrban water services solutions: problems and options
Author(s) -
Keith Frederick Miller
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
policy quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2324-1101
pISSN - 2324-1098
DOI - 10.26686/pq.v8i2.4413
Subject(s) - business , water industry , service delivery framework , service (business) , capital expenditure , capital (architecture) , strengths and weaknesses , finance , environmental planning , capital city , capital cost , economics , water supply , geography , engineering , environmental engineering , marketing , philosophy , economic geography , archaeology , epistemology , macroeconomics
A number of bodies have advocated reform of urban water service delivery in recent times, including removal from local authority ownership and control. Water services are estimated to have a replacement cost of about $33 billion, with annual operating expenditures of $1.7 billion and annual capital expenditure of about $1.1 billion (SPM Consultants, 2009, pp.63-71). This article describes some of the reform proposals that have been made; considers what, if any, problems there may be with current arrangements for water services delivery; develops some criteria against which to assess reform options; and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of different reform options against those criteria.