Innovative Solution

Finance, pricing, pro-poor, affordability, human right

financial

Water services are not for free. To increase affordability an easy measure is introducing progressive pricing. An example is water services in Belgium. The more you use the more you pay progressively. Large consumers (normally spoken rich people and industries) subsidize small users (normally poor). The current practice is often the other way around: the poor pay relatively more, because they pay per bucket (where there is no connection to public water supply) or large users are subsidized (often industries).

Global

Progressive pricing is already functioning in Belgium.

Accessibility and affordability of water services. Reducing inequality and reducing poverty.

Output enormously. No investment needed, only transfer of costs from poor to rich.

Change in water prices and increased income for water services providers/ local governments that can be used to extend water services to the poor.

Local governments and water operators. it will increase their income, increase the capacity to extend and improve water services and can easily be scaled up. Political back up is needed.

Succes factors are political will and a good system of revenue collection.

EPSU, European federation of Public Services Unions, representing workers in water services.