Public-Private Partnerships in water & sanitation services. A case study in Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

In the conurbation of the port of Veracruz, Mexico, the water and sanitation system is governed by a public-private partnership scheme arising from legal and organizational arrangements that benefit economic groups and government sectors. Consequently, the responsible company offers the population an inefficient service and is negligent in the face of the social and environmental damage it causes. Users and political figures demand to cancel the concession; however, the authorities have ignored the demand. In order to find alternative solutions to the problem, a qualitative-quantitative examination of a wide documentary collection, which included text mining, networks of actors and multivariate analysis, allowed to determine the contextual and characteristic aspects of the system. The results suggest the need to reform water and sanitation management in the conurbation; privilege public welfare; and promote mechanisms of transparency, citizen participation and co-responsibility.