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Private sector participation has been one of the most controversial issues in urban water management in developing countries over the past two decades. This paper examines recent trends in private sector participation, and summarizes recent evidence which suggests that the mainstream model – of large water multinationals engaged in long-term concession contracts – has undergone a strategic retreat. The analysis briefly documents the strategic reorientation of private sector strategies, and traces the ensuing evolution of doctrines and debates over private versus public management of water supply. In closing, the paper suggests the need to broaden our understandings of governance to explicitly account for issues of power and politics in the context of urban citizenship.