Sustainable cost recovery principles can drive equitable, ongoing funding of critical urban sanitation services.

This Comment critiques current urban sanitation financing discourse and proposes sustainable cost recovery principles as a framework for more constructive conversations. The way we talk about financing matters, and a better conversation can lead to better outcomes. We contend that framing discussions around sustainable cost recovery principles can foster fairer, more sustainable financing arrangements that acknowledge sanitation as a critical public good while ensuring service provider viability and user affordability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]