BOOK
Pricing Water Resources and Water and Sanitation Services
(2010)
Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Part of OECD Water Policy and Finance Set - Buy all four reports and save over 30% on buying separately!
In both OECD and non-OECD countries the water sector is facing the challenges of increased competition for water resources, deteriorating water quality, and the effects of climate change and poor management. In this context, how can countries ensure access to adequate, sustainable and affordable water and sanitation services for all? Pricing water-related services is an essential part of the answer.
This report compiles reliable and comparable data on pricing water and on water supply and sanitation services across OECD countries. It sheds additional light on such policy issues as the choice of tariff structures for water services, cost recovery for water services and affordability.
Further reading: Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Agriculture (2010); Managing Water for All (2009); Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure: OECD Checklist for Public Action (2009); Social Issues in the Provision and Pricing of Water Services (2003);The Price of Water: Trends in OECD Countries (1999)
Visit http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/UsefulResourcesforDevelopingCountries_0 to access the OECD area on the IWA WaterWiki
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover\r | Cover | ||
| Table of Contents | 4 | ||
| Acronyms | 7 | ||
| Executive summary | 9 | ||
| Objective and scope of the report | 9 | ||
| A new context for water pricing | 9 | ||
| Water pricing in OECD countries | 10 | ||
| Consequences for selected policy issues | 12 | ||
| Introduction | 15 | ||
| References | 16 | ||
| Chapter 1:\rWhy water pricing is an issue | 17 | ||
| Water prices: allocation mechanisms vs. revenue-raising instruments | 18 | ||
| Pricing as one financing instrument for the water sector | 19 | ||
| The multiple elements of water-related costs | 19 | ||
| Financing the water sector: sustainable cost recovery, revenues and repayable finance | 21 | ||
| A policy dilemma: trade-offs between multiple objectives | 24 | ||
| Financial sustainability vs. economic efficiency | 26 | ||
| Affordability: financial sustainability of water operators vs. social considerations | 27 | ||
| From water pricing to tariffs | 28 | ||
| Policy issues | 30 | ||
| Notes | 30 | ||
| References | 31 | ||
| Chapter 2:\rWater pricing in OECD countries: state of play | 33 | ||
| A note on method | 34 | ||
| Pricing water resource management | 35 | ||
| Abstraction charges in OECD countries | 36 | ||
| Pollution charges in OECD countries | 39 | ||
| Pricing water supply and sanitation for households | 44 | ||
| Tariff levels for water supply and sanitation | 44 | ||
| Tariff structures for water supply in OECD countries | 51 | ||
| Tariff structures for sanitation in OECD countries | 54 | ||
| Pricing water supply and sanitation for industrial users | 54 | ||
| Connection charges for households and industrial users | 59 | ||
| A synthesis | 59 | ||
| Notes | 61 | ||
| References | 61 | ||
| Chapter 3:\rPolicy challenges related to water pricing | 63 | ||
| A new context for water pricing | 64 | ||
| The water resource management challenge | 64 | ||
| The water and sanitation challenge | 67 | ||
| OECD countries | 67 | ||
| Developing countries | 68 | ||
| Ecological sustainability | 69 | ||
| Economic efficiency: a rationale for second-best solutions | 69 | ||
| Financial sustainability: cost recovery for water supply and sanitation services | 70 | ||
| Affordability of water bills: reconciling different policy objectives | 73 | ||
| Way forward | 78 | ||
| Update the data regularly | 78 | ||
| Address data and knowledge gaps | 78 | ||
| Develop a checklist for policy makers | 79 | ||
| Notes | 79 | ||
| References | 80 | ||
| Annex A. Taxes and levies in household water bills | 83 | ||
| Notes | 96 | ||
| Annex B. Additional sources of information per country | 97 | ||
| Australia | 97 | ||
| Austria | 97 | ||
| Belgium | 97 | ||
| Canada | 97 | ||
| Czech Republic | 98 | ||
| Denmark | 98 | ||
| Finland | 98 | ||
| France | 98 | ||
| Germany | 98 | ||
| Greece | 99 | ||
| Italy | 99 | ||
| Korea | 99 | ||
| Luxembourg | 99 | ||
| Mexico | 100 | ||
| New Zealand | 100 | ||
| Netherlands | 100 | ||
| Norway | 101 | ||
| Poland | 101 | ||
| Sweden | 101 | ||
| United Kingdom | 103 |