Integrating Social Aspects into Urban Water Pricing: Australian and International Perspectives

Abstract

Over the last decade, society’s aspirations towards affordable urban water have been overtaken by other objectives – economic efficiency, financial sustainability, and environmental conservation. This chapter provides an overview of how social equity can be built into water pricing principles, processes, and outcomes. Examples are given, and analyses are made of water affordability in Australian capital cities from 1995/96 to 2011/12 and compared with the values of water concessions given to disadvantaged people by state governments. We conclude that social equity and affordability factors can be successfully integrated into the price structure of urban water and doing so has particular advantages.