Germany has a very good record on water services. Despite high connection rates and almost full cost recovery, the total annual costs for consumers are at the same level or even cheaper than in other countries. This is an outcome of the specific way in which water management is organised in Germany. This contribution by R. Andreas Kraemer, Britta Pielen and Colette de Roo endeavours to explain the practice of municipal enterprises embedded in Germany's federal structures, the levels of water services, and reveals why water services can be as good and as cheap as they are.
The article does not provide an answer to the question it begs: Why is the strength of the German approach not more appreciated in international water policy debate? However, the contribution does highlight some of the difficulties Germany experiences with respect to its international presence.