Reorganization of Water Services and Sanitation in Argentina

Although franchising is the dominant mode of organization of water services (most notably in Buenos Aires), it is by no means the only one. In particular, the study of cooperatives and other experiences started after the collapse of the OSN model suggests a lesser influence of British and French urban services management models than is commonly assumed. New institutional designs appear to be quite diverse and strongly influenced by local contexts and conditions, first, because they result from complex processes with a strong political dimension and, second, because the functioning of these new institutions implies a lot of learning-by-doing. This is why it remains difficult to forecast what future models may result from the evolution of these local institutional designs.