Private sector participation in water supply and sanitation in urban areas

The private vs. public debate is largely misleading for two main reasons. First, the obstacles to water and sanitation infrastructure development are largely unrelated to ownership. Private sector participation brings to light the tensions that the development of water infrastructure generates, tensions that remain largely hidden when infrastructure is kept closely in the public sector. In that sense, most recommendations to optimize private sector participation, including the OECD Principles, remain relevant tools to facilitate infrastructure development projects regardless of the partners.