Abstract:
Urban water supply, wastewater and storm water services (globally, water services) are essential to
the society. The lack of permanent, safe and respondent services has inevitable consequences on the
public health and well-being of the communities, on the economy, and on the environment. Goal 6
of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognises this, and failing to meet it necessarily
affects the accomplishment of many of the other SDGs. Water service provision depends on
expensive and long-lasting physical assets. Managing them strategically (e.g., according to the
international standards on asset management, series ISO 55x and to the IWA recommendations) is
therefore fundamental for sustainable societies. Countries need to have sound public policies that
enable asset management, and Portugal is a paradigmatic case. This paper presents the key elements
of an enabling public policy for water, using the case of Portugal to exemplify possible
implementation solutions. It elaborates on key goals for governments, on the importance of a
coherent public policy to meet them, on the elements a sound public policy should consider, on how
this links to asset management, and presents how Portugal implemented this process, addressing
challenges to overcome.
