The water sector draws its general orientation from the High Council of Water and Climate and is organized through the national, regional and local institutions. There are three institutions with a very strong involvement in the water sector :

1. The Communities
2. The Ministry of Territory Planning, Water and the Environment (MATEE)
3. The Ministry of Agriculture

Organisational Chart

Communities are responsible for the distribution of drinking water and wastewater collection and treatment. They can provide these services on their own, through a governed utility that they can create by a deprived franchisee or concession, or through the National Drinking Water Office (ONEP).

The Ministry of Territory Planning, Water and the Environment (MATEE) has two entities that are involved in water management:

1. The Secretariat of State to Water, who acts as the intermediary of Hydraulic Basin Agencies, and is responsible for the scheduling, the mobilization and the management of water resources. More...
2. The National Drinking Water Office is responsible for the scheduling and the production of drinking water, for the control of pollution of resources used for drinking water supply, and for the distribution of the drinking water and the waste water service. More...

In this regard, the MATEE is the central authority responsible for the formulation of water policies, its mobilization, the conservation and the management of the public hydraulic infrastructure and determines the allocation of resources between the different uses.

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The Ministry of Agriculture has regional offices responsible for agricultural development which are also involved in the management of water allocated to irrigated agriculture.

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1. The Ministry of Industry, as industrial water requirements are usually supplied through the ONEP
2. The Ministry of Energy, as water used for hydroelectricity production is afterwards used for irrigation.
3. Other ministerial departments (described also in the organizational chart) which have a role in the control and regulation of water-related issues.
   1. Departments of the Ministry of the Interior, responsible for the local collectivity support through the DGRSC, and of the DEA. More...
   2. Departments of the Ministry of Finance for the financial monitoring of water projects and for the financial management of services.
   3. The Ministry of  Economic Affairs, which intervenes in the definition of water tariffs.