INTERMUNICIPALITY AS AN EMERGENT INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT: THE WATER SUPPLY CASE IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF AGUASCALIENTES, MEXICO

Abstract

Public water supply management is a complex process that requires the implementation of a series of accountability, coordination and regulatory mechanisms in order to guarantee continual supply of this vital liquid to the maximum number of people, maximizing spatial and hourly coverage. This article examines the case of a Mexican city that has been expanding until reaching the size of a metropolitan zone, i.e. Aguascalientes, analyzing in a critical manner the argument that intermunicipal governance of public services emerges as a response to increasingly complex needs of metropolitan regions, which need to o+er quality services to a growing and demanding population.