| Germany: Water and Sanitation | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
| ||
| Data | ||
| Water coverage (broad definition) | 100% | |
| Sanitation coverage (broad definition) | 100% | |
| 100% | ||
| Average urban water use (liter/capita/day) | 121 (2010)[1] | |
| Average urban domestic water and sewer bill | €32/month [2] | |
| Share of household metering | 100% | |
| Non-revenue water | 7% (2001) | |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | 100% | |
| Annual investment in water supply and sanitation | €100/capita | |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | 100% | |
| Share of tax-financing | 0% | |
| Share of external financing | 0% | |
| Institutions | ||
| Decentralization to municipalities | Full | |
| National water and sanitation company | None | |
| Water and sanitation regulator | None | |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Not clearly defined | |
| Sector law | None | |
| Number of service providers | about 6,000 | |
Public water supply and sanitation in Germany is universal and of good quality. Some salient features of the sector compared to other developed countries are its very low per capita water use, the high share of advanced wastewater treatment and very low distribution losses. Responsibility for water supply and sanitation provision lies with municipalities, which are regulated by the states. Professional associations and utility associations play an important role in the sector. As in other EU countries, most of the standards applicable to the sector are set in Brussels (see EU water policy). Recent developments include a trend to create commercial public utilities under private law and an effort to modernize the sector, including through more systematic benchmarking.
- ^ German Federal Statistical Office (2012-11-18). "Gesamtwirtschaft & Umwelt - Wasserwirtschaft - Wasserwirtschaft - Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis)". Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ Based on an annual water and sewer bill of 196 euro per person and two persons per household. See section on tariffs for more details on water and sewer bills