Water supply and sanitation in Chile
The flag of Chile | |
| Data | |
|---|---|
| Water coverage (broad definition) | (improved water source) 96% (2010) |
| Sanitation coverage (broad definition) | (improved sanitation) 96% (2010) |
| Share of collected wastewater treated | 82% (2006) |
| Continuity of supply | 100% |
| Average urban water use (L/person/day) | 196 (2006) |
| Average urban water and sanitation tariff (US$/m3) | n/a |
| Share of household metering | 96% (2006) |
| Annual investment in WSS | US$23.1/capita (2006) |
| Share of self-financing by utilities | High |
| Share of tax-financing | n/a |
| Share of external financing | Low |
| Institutions | |
| Decentralization to municipalities | No, central government regulation |
| National water and sanitation company | None |
| Water and sanitation regulator | Yes |
| Responsibility for policy setting | Ministry of Public Works |
| Sector law | Yes (1988, amended in 1998) |
| No. of urban service providers | 20 |
| No. of rural service providers | n/a |
Water supply and sanitation in Chile were once considered efficient and equitable but in 2022 Chile struggled to reliably provide water throughout the country due to drought. Chile's water resources have been strained by the Chilean water crisis, which was partially caused by a continuing megadrought that began in 2010, along with an increased demand for agricultural and other commercial interests.
Chile began rationing water in April 2022. Chile's water and sanitation sector distinguishes itself in a few key ways. First, all urban water companies are privately owned or operated (the only exception is SMAPA), and water was defined as a private commodity in the 1980 Constitution of Chile. Second, the Chilean government instituted a subsidy for water costs in 1990 for citizens located in impoverished regions. Third, Chile became the first Latin American Country to achieve 100% of its population using basic water sanitation in 2016.