Resumen

COUNTINHO VARGAS, MARCELO. O negócio da água: debatendo experiências recentes de concessão dos serviços de abastecimento de água e esgotamento sanitário a empresas privadas no Brasil. CDC [online]. 2005, vol.22, n.59, pp.69-87. ISSN 1012-2508.

This paper seeks to analyse the role private sector may play on water and sewerage services (WSS) in Brazilian cities, rather contributing to improve their quality and social reach or to increase the exclusion of the urban poor. It focuses on three case studies about the «privatization» of this sector in seven southeastern municipalities which gave their services in concession to domestic and foreign private operators. The case studies try to analyse the consequences of those contracts to the social, economic and environmental sustainability of such services, as well as to their democratic accountability and regulation.

Palabras clave : Water and sewerage services; Private operation and public regulation; Case studies.