Control and Regulation of Water and Sanitation (WS) Services in Bulgaria: Effect on Quality and Efficiency

Abstract

Water and sanitation services are becoming more and more a ‘hot topic’ in terms of management, control, and regulation, as each country applies a different approach to what is both an economic good and an essential human right. This chapter provides an overview of how quality and price regulation on water and sanitation (WS) services has been implemented in Bulgaria in the past 10 years; what has been achieved and what went wrong; and what solutions have been planned for the future. As the condition and performance of assets is fundamental for quality and efficiency of water and sanitation services, and as these are critical networks, the main conclusion is that both utilities and regulators need to focus their attention in providing holistic life-cycle asset management and customer service approach.