Governance and public policies for sanitation (Uruguay)

Uruguay pioneered the recognition of water and sanitation as human rights, enshrining them in its 2004 Constitution. Yet safely managed sanitation reaches only 64 % of the population. Framed by the Sustainable Development Goals, the 2020 National Sanitation Plan (NSP) calls for more efficient resource allocation to achieve universal access by 2030.

This thesis examines the legal framework, institutional mandates and operational capacities of national and departmental actors to assess progress toward safely managed sanitation. It reviews the NSP’s goals, financing mechanisms and monitoring tools, and contrasts them with the state-owned utility Obras Sanitarias del Estado (OSE) and its subsequent “Universalisation Plan.”

Findings reveal persistent gaps in rural areas and informal settlements, under-utilised sewer networks despite connection subsidies, and chronic shortages of technical personnel, funding and treatment infrastructure. Implementation of the NSP has stalled amid weak institutional leadership and shifting political priorities.

The study concludes that universal, safe sanitation will require elevating the NSP to state-policy status, securing stable financing, strengthening the National Water Directorate, broadening technological options beyond conventional sewerage, and ensuring meaningful civil-society participation in planning, execution and oversight.