The objective of this paper is to present the conceptual aspects of the regulation of water and sewage services in Brazil and to perform a comparative analysis of this regulation to the other sectors of the infrastructure. This study is based on the assumption of regulation as an intervention of the State turned to the efficiency and fairness, and presents the theoretical foundations to justify this regulation in the context of the characteristics of water and sewage sector. By comparison with other sectors of infrastructure networks, it has been concluded that depending on the physical, economic and institutional characteristics of water and sewage sector, this activity is quite complex to be effectively established according to the principles of law 11.445/2007.
regulation; public services; basic sanitation; water and sewage
