Improving and managing universal services of water and sanitation in a holistic manner is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and addressing the needs of millions of people around the world. Ensuring access to water services is a key factor in working towards the SDGs, and water service delivery planning can support utilities in improving provision of these services. A service delivery plan identifies the actions required and associated costs for achieving a defined level of water services delivery over a defined period of time. This publications is a guideline or how-to manual on preparing water service delivery plans with a focus on small to medium sized organised water utilities having with approximately 5,000 to over 100,000 connections mainly in areas with limited capacity and resources. The manual is simplified enough to ensure that these utilities are able to move from a situation where they are struggling to deliver water services to where basic service levels in terms of water quality, quantity, accessibility, reliability, affordability, and acceptability are met. Meeting these basic service levels provides a strong foundation for the utility to progressively move up the ladder of delivering improved services.

The Manual highlights the human rights principles and criteria in relation to drinking water and sanitation. It explains the international legal obligations in terms of operational policies and practice that will support the progressive realisation of universal access. The Manual introduces a human rights perspective that will add value to informed decision making in the daily routine of operators, managers and regulators. It also encourages its readership to engage actively in national dialogues where the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation are translated into national and local policies, laws and regulations. Creating such an enabling environment is, in fact, only the first step in the process towards progressive realisation. Allocation of roles and responsibilities is the next step, in an updated institutional and operational set up that helps apply a human rights lens to the process of reviewing and revising the essential functions of operators, service providers and regulators.

New edition available September 2013 Institutional Governance and Regulation of Water Services provides the key elements of policy, governance and regulation necessary for sustainable water and sanitation services. On policy matters, it covers important aspects of separation of policy and delivery, integrated planning, sustainable cost recovery, provisions for the poor, and transparency. Regulation and Regulatory Bodies are presented in their various forms, with discussion of why some form of independent scrutiny is essential for sustainability. There is a separate chapter on Drinking Water Quality Regulation including setting standards and discussion on how to incorporate managing risk in regulatory approaches. It is the first book to give a comprehensive review of the key elements of policy, governance and regulation for sustainable water services, based on experience from around the world. The focus is on what works and what does not, based on consideration of basic principles and on case studies in both developing and developed countries. Institutional Governance and Regulation of Water Services is an invaluable information source for national and local governments responsible for water policy, for water utility managers, and for students who will be the policy makers of tomorrow. It should also be of value to all those concerned with water policy matters in donor agencies and international banks as well as for academics involved in the teaching of water policy, governance and regulation. About the author: Michael Rouse is a Distinguished Research Associate at the University of Oxford and manages the Institutional Governance and Regulation module of the University's MSc Course on Water Science, Policy and Management. He was formerly Head of the Drinking Water Inspectorate in London and has extensive knowledge and experience of water governance and regulation, including all aspects of audit and enforcement, and the governance issues related to both public sector management and privatisation. He has wide knowledge of water technical and operational matters, based on his applied research and development background at the Water Research Centre, where he spent 9 years as Managing Director. Michael has a good understanding of international water matters and advises governments on policy and regulation. He is a Past President of the International Water Association. He is a visiting professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing and at the Shanghai Academy of Social Science. In 2000 he was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) for his professional services.

Institutional Governance and Regulation of Water Services aims to provide the key elements of policy, governance and regulation necessary for sustainable water and sanitation services. On policy matters, it covers important aspects including separation of policy and delivery, integrated planning, sustainable cost recovery, provisions for the poor, and transparency. Regulation and Regulatory Bodies are presented in their various forms, with discussion of why some form of independent scrutiny is essential for sustainability. The focus is on what works and what does not, based on consideration of basic principles and on case studies in both developing and developed countries. The early chapters discuss the key elements, with later chapters considering how these elements have come together in successful reforms of public sector operations. A chapter is devoted to the successful use of the private sector based on lessons learnt from 'failures' of private contracts and the need for the application of sound procurement principles. The current trend is for a public sector model which benefits from business approaches, the so-called corporatised public utility. Experience since the publication of the first edition in 2007 reinforces the importance of the key elements for sustainable water services. This second edition brings the material up to date and with some increased emphasis on public participation in its many forms. It refers to the opportunity for progress provided by the UN Declaration of Water and Sanitation as a Human Right, but only if it is implemented in a practical and sustainable way. Institutional Governance and Regulation of Water Services is aimed at providing an informative source for national and local governments responsible for water policy, for water utility managers, and for students who will be the policy makers of tomorrow. It is a teaching aid for courses on water policy, governance and regulation. About the Author: Michael Rouse is a Distinguished Research Associate at the University of Oxford and manages the Institutional Governance and Regulation module of the University's MSc Course on Water Science, Policy and Management. He was formerly Head of the Drinking Water Inspectorate in London and has extensive knowledge and experience of water governance and regulation, including all aspects of audit and enforcement, and the governance issues related to both public sector management and privatisation. He has wide knowledge of water technical and operational matters, based on his applied research and development background at the Water Research Centre, where he spent 9 years as Managing Director. Michael has a good understanding of international water matters and advises governments on policy and regulation. He is a Past President of the International Water Association. He is a visiting professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing and at the Shanghai Academy of Social Science. In 2000 he was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) for his professional services.