The right to water and sanitation in Ecuador: Progress, limitations, and challenges

For the last two decades Ecuador has not made any significant changes regarding water and sewer services through residential connections and the biggest deficit in this matter is found in rural areas. Sewer water treatment is minimal. Even after the constitutional changes in 2008, there have been no clear policies for integral environment sanitation. Although there is a growing public investment in drinking water systems and sanitation, there are also overlapping policies, objectives, functions, and responsibilities; duplicate studies in relation to geographic information systems design and data bases, investment works and building of irrigation systems, drinking water, and environment sanitation, water quality control and pollution control, and the protection and handling of water sources. The proposal of water laws and the renegotiation of contracts with leasing companies do not meet constitutional regulations.