tly (USD 800 million/year) and indirectly through a USD 4 million subsidy for electricity for pumping (Lee et al., 2001). It is suggested that without this the country would starve (New Scientist, 2006). In Europe at least, the water framework directive is supposed to ensure that the full economic costs of water services are passed on to the users by 2015 (Sommen, 2006). Service standards or levels are key to understanding the recent trends in infrastructure provision, as they dictate forms of service and the performance expected of those services. Overall the approach in the 20th century has been to try to satisfy demand from all sources and latterly to introduce more controls and services to minimise the pollution caused by returning contaminated water into the environment. Only recently has it been recognised that demand management must also go hand in hand with satisfying demand, and that a more integrated and overall approach is needed (e.g. WSSTP, 2005; WSAA, 2005). In most OECD countries and in certain developing countries, service standards are specified and may be enshrined in regulations. Investment in infrastructure provision has then been tailored to meet these, via new asset investment or maintenance of existing infrastructure. In recognition of the need for some standardisation, the ISO is developing specifications for service levels in the water and sanitation area (ISO/TC, 2004). Worldwide the most accepted standards are those defined by the WHO for drinking water (WHO, 2004), but these relate to the quality of the water rather than the quantities or the services that provide these. There has been both an assumption and a desire on the part of the poorest, that developed world water supply and sanitation technologies be applicable worldwide. Apart from the impossibility of providing waterborne sanitation for all - because that would require the use of all available free water sources - other considerations militating against this are cost, energy use and loss of the valuable nutrients contained in