Almost 100% of the urban population has access to drinking water and as of 2007 about 82% of it was connected to a sewerage network with treatment (Figure 10.3). This is the result of a modern and effective institutional and policy framework that was made possible by a proactive process of privatisation of water utilities initiated in the late 1990s. The framework combines: i) high-quality regulation, ii) water operators (in most cases private sector providers) being allowed to recover the full cost of service provision, thereby enabling investment in assuring coverage and quality of service, and iii) an innovative system of subsidies targeted to poor consumers to ensure affordability.