The history of the emergence of universal acces to drinking water sewage networks in Santiago, Chile - 1970-1995

Abstract

What factors explain the growth of universal access to potable water and sewage networks in Santiago, Chile? We will analyse the respective roles of housing policies and the first wave of service reforms in achieving universal access to drinking water during the 1980s. The second part ofthe article focuses on the difficulties linked to urban growth in Gran Santiago that coincided with the expansion of water and sewer lines during the 1980s, eventually leading to a second wave of reforms. Finally, we shall examine the design of the 1989 regulatory and management reforms and their effects on service access as it varies by social group and geographic location.