Restrepo-Mieth Analyzes Colombia’s Municipal Water Affordability Programs

Municipal volumetric allowances improve the affordability of water services for low-income individuals. But what characterizes municipal governments that adopt and implement volumetric allowances absent a national mandate to do so? Analysis of data from 25 municipalities in Colombia using Qualitative Comparative Analysis shows that three factors are closely related to program adoption and implementation: public utility ownership, program design flexibility that allows municipalities to accommodate their spending capacity, and geographical proximity to early adopters. These findings contribute to our understanding of the diffusion of municipal water affordability policies in the absence of national guidelines, as well as the importance of policy design in their emergence and continuity.