10.4122/1.1000001217 Baptista, J. Melo Alegre, H. Matos, R. Neves, E. Beja The Portuguese experience on the regulation of the water and solid wastes sectors - Quality of service assessment DTU Library, Technical University of Denmark (DTU) 2005 Regulation performance indicators benchmarking water supply wastewater solid wastes Institute for the Regulation of Water and Solid Waste National Civil Engineering Laboratory, Hydraulics and Environment Department en Conference presentation 10.4122/1.1000001218 text/xml 1 The main objectives of this paper are to provide an overview of the Portuguese Regulator\342\200\231s (IRAR) main strategic guidelines and to describe the outcome of a project carried out, in association with LNEC, aimed at defining the performance indicators (PI) systems to be used as basis for comparison of the operators\342\200\231 performance. Three groups of PI were defined, related to: 1) protection of the user interests; 2) sustainability of the operator; and 3) environmental sustainability. Twenty PI have been set for every type of service: water supply, wastewater and solid wastes. These PI systems are a fundamental tool for IRAR to implement the quality of service regulation, as an essential component of its regulatory model. The quality of service regulation frames the operators performance as far as the quality of service provided to users is concerned and shall not be dissociated from the economic regulation. At present, the consolidation of regulation is crucial envisaging the enhancement of the current quality of service to the users. IRAR aims at having a leverage effect in the transition of the country from the current stage of infrastructural investment in new assets to a new stage of stability and high quality of service delivery.