Economic Indicators and Efficiency in Austrian Settlement Water Management

Water management in Austria is usually the responsibility of the public sector which through high connection rates to water supply and sewer pipelines makes an important contribution to public health and environmental protection. The funding required to maintain and expand the requisite infrastructure, however, is confronted with tight budgets of the public sector. Furthermore, the water supply and sewer networks constitute a natural monopoly which, at least in theory, may lead to the risk of inefficient use of means.