Methodological approaches to public regulation of water supply and wastewater sector

Abstract

Creating an effective system of state regulation in the sphere of water supply and wastewater disposal, which would meet European quality standards, has balanced the interests of consumers, the state and water supply and sewerage enterprises, and requires an adequate scientific support. In this regard, a special role belongs to fundamental research, which will allow to consider government regulation not only from the point of its content, water supply and disposal, but also from other perspectives - as far as it can be described as a social, economic, legal phenomenon and determine practical value for society as a whole. Methodology is a set of subjects and objects, goals and objectives, principles, approaches and functions, criteria and indicators, forms and methods of state regulation. All elements of the state regulation methodology form an organic unity. The methodological guidelines and approaches that significantly affect all components of the state regulation methodology and directly related to public administration are the most crucial components of state regulation. The article is devoted to the methodological approaches study related to the state regulation in the sphere of water supply and wastewater disposal. The author explores the state regulation category, describes it as a social, economic, legal phenomenon and tries to determine its practical value for society as a whole. Special attention is paid to the sphere of centralized water supply and sanitation as a natural monopoly, and the causes of the natural monopoly origin in this sphere have been analyzed. The author explores and analyzes the subjects, object, forms and methods, principles and functions of state regulation in the field of water supply and wastewater disposal. The author also examines rationale for the causes and limits of state intervention in the economic and other processes in the field of water supply and sanitation, as well as the nature, practical value and direction of regulation. In the article, the author draws attention to some inconsistencies in the legislation on state regulation in the sphere of water supply and wastewater disposal, and gives suggestions concerning formation of a unified approach to the definition of natural monopolies, an understanding of the objectives of government regulation and reform, and perspective research.

Keywords

• water supply
• wastewater
• public utilities
• state regulation
• methodology
• natural monopoly