Public utility reform, quality and regulatory design: a case study of the urban water supply industry

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to identify the implications for quality of utilities reform and regulatory design. As a case study, the structural, operational, ownership, institutional and regulatory changes taking place in the urban water supply industry are examined. The study seeks to establish 'best practice' regulatory design of the industry for quality outcomes, based on economic theory and, where possible, empirical evidence. ... The paper focuses on quality in the water industry as a result of the reforms that have taken place in several Australian States and in the United Kingdom. The full water cycle is not examined. However, it is recognised that water supply, drainage, wastewater, flood-plain management, ground water and river management are interconnected facets of water quality management.