Public private partnerships in urban wastewater management: The Adelaide experience and lessons for Developing Countries

The concerns about the availability of freshwater to meet the demands of a growing population while sustaining a healthy natural environment are based on several factors: uncertainties as to the availability of supplies; the high costs of developing additional water supplies; the vulnerability of the resource and the problems of restoring and protecting valued surface and groundwater resources; the importance of reliable supplies of high-quality water for human and environmental health and economic development; and the shortcomings of our institutions for allocating scarce supplies in response to changing supply and demand conditions. Therefore water management authorities around the world are challenged with ensuring the quantity, quality, and allocation among the various uses of water are sustainable.