Regulating Water Companies
The water industry differs in two key respects from such other network industries as gas, electricity, and telecommunications. First, it offers fewer opportunities for competition among suppliers, since the network of pipes accounts for a large part of the total cost of water and can be run efficiently only as a monopoly. Second, the quality of water is crucial but hard for consumers to check. So, to get the best performance out of water companies, governments need to regulate the price and quality of water. To do that job well, regulators must know the appropriate price. The authors explain that the best way to discover this price is to auction the right to supply water.
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Viewpoint biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
1996-05
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| Subjects: | CUBIC METER, GAS, INFLATION, MONOPOLIES, MONOPOLY SUPPLIERS, PIPED WATER, PIPELINES, PRICE OF WATER, PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY OF WATER, QUALITY WATER, RESERVOIRS, SMALL TOWN, TOWNS, USE OF WATER, WATER COLLECTION, WATER COMPANIES, WATER COMPANY, WATER INDUSTRY, WATER PIPES, WATER QUALITY, WATER SUPPLY, WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM, WATER SYSTEM, WATER TREATMENT, WATER USE, WATER UTILITIES REGULATIONS, WATER DISTRIBUTION, WATER UTILITIES, AUCTIONS, PRICE PROJECTIONS, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1996/05/441485/regulating-water-companies http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11626 |
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| Summary: | The water industry differs in two key
respects from such other network industries as gas,
electricity, and telecommunications. First, it offers fewer
opportunities for competition among suppliers, since the
network of pipes accounts for a large part of the total cost
of water and can be run efficiently only as a monopoly.
Second, the quality of water is crucial but hard for
consumers to check. So, to get the best performance out of
water companies, governments need to regulate the price and
quality of water. To do that job well, regulators must know
the appropriate price. The authors explain that the best way
to discover this price is to auction the right to supply water. |
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