Paying for water

A recent posting on the ELDIS site mentions a report by ActionAid, arguing against water rates in the context of World Trade Organization GATS negotiations pressure to open water delivery markets to foreign organizations. The report uses examples from South Africa to make the point that privatization in the water sector can have an adverse effect on the poorest communities. The WTO discusses the issue in its GATS Fact and Fiction site. Avoiding rate shock : making the case for water rates, a study sponsored by the AWWA Water Utility Council also argues the other side. It is available in HOORC's library.