In some countries, access to drinking water is taken for granted as a normal, everyday occurrence. In many other countries, achieving this access to water still remains a major issue for a large section of the population.

However, regardless of the country or the local public authority, producing drinking water and supplying it to consumers, as well as treating wastewater and releasing it back into the natural environment, require the co-operation of three stakeholders. These are the public authorities, the companies, to whom they are able to entrust the management of the water services, and consumers.

Water services are a public service. It is therefore natural that final responsibility for it falls on the public authority who owns the infrastructure. Representatives of the State, local authorities can then choose to manage this service themselves or to outsource its management to a private operating company.

The concessionaire company is responsible for carrying out all the technical operations required to run a water service. It is responsible for treating the water abstracted from the natural environment so that it is fit for human consumption. It must also ensure that it supplies quality clean water that tastes good as well as operating the infrastructure in an efficient manner.

The concessionaire company also provides wastewater services, i.e. treating wastewater in order that it can be recycled and reused or for it to be released back into the ecosystem. This treatment stage is essential in order to protect resources and to maintain the good environmental state of the water.

The third stakeholder in this water "chain" is consumers. They have a major role to play, and are becoming more and more aware of the fact. Firstly, by adopting "responsible" habits in their day-to-day use and consumption of water, thereby reducing wastage. Finally, by not polluting drinking water in order that it can easily be treated before it is released back into the natural environment.