Caracterização dos tarifários de abastecimento de água e saneamento em Portugal

The tariffs applied in the Portuguese water industry are very complex, making their analysis difficult and hampering the objective of efficiency, acknowledged as an important tool in water management by Portuguese and European legislation. In this article we present the main criteria to be taken into account when choosing a tariff scheme, emphasising those which regard economic efficiency and financial stability of water utilities. We then analyse the existing Portuguese water supply and wastewater drainage and treatment tariffs based on the information provided by the National Inventory of Water Supply and Wastewater Systems and compare the results obtained with the aforementioned objectives, stressing the distance between them.