Meeting multiple mandates: The increasing complexity of water utility management

This study provides a historical framework of the cumulative mandates of water supply utilities: universal coverage, commercial viability, and sustainability. The political agendas, development programs, and societal demands that have led to this overlap of multiple, and at times competing, mandates are discussed to inform the complexity water utilities face. Further, the detrimental effect of climate change, demographic change, urbanization, pollution, and ageing infrastructure on achieving these mandates is explained. Water utility management is portrayed as becoming increasingly complex, resulting in a need for more diverse knowledge, skills, and capacities in addressing the challenges facing water utilities. • Over time, various mandates have been added for water utilities. • Water utilities are now accountable for 3 overlapping mandates: universal coverage, commercial viability, sustainability. • Anthropocene impacts hinder the achievement of all mandates. • The additional mandates mean staff's skills and capacities need to change/expand.