A gestão pública e a participação privada no abastecimento de água e esgotamento sanitário em Minas Gerais: possíveis impactos da Lei nº 14.026/2020

Objective: to present and discuss the main changes brought about by Law no. 14.026/2020 for the implementation of public basic sanitation policies, in particular, in the provision of water supply and sewage services in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methodology: the study was carried out by reviewing technical literature, relevant legislation and qualitative and exploratory data analysis. The research was conducted from February 2023 to September 2024 and carried out consultations in the databases Web of Science, Portal of Periodicals of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, Scopus and other databases indexed in the Virtual Library. The results found were compared with information from other sources. Results and discussion: the preliminary critical analysis regarding the update of the Sanitation Law made it possible to identify challenges, helping to reflect on established public policies. The research revealed that there are several flaws in the international experiences of privatizing sanitation services. Proponents of privatization argue that the private sector is more efficient and innovative than the public sector. However, critics point out that privatization could lead to tariff increases, reduced quality of services and lack of investment. Conclusion: the results demonstrated that the privatization of the sanitation sector in Minas Gerais could be disastrous, especially for the most vulnerable population, making it difficult to efficiently universalize these essential services. Submitted: 08/19/24| Revision: 10/07/24| Approved: 10/13/24