Privatization of Water Services in the United States: An Assessment of Issues and Experience

158 Pages·2002·4.81 MB·English

by  National Research Council, Committee on Privatization of Water Services in the United States

Privatization of
Water Services in
the United States
An Assessment of Issues and Experience
Committee on Privatization of Water Services in the United States
Water Science and Technology Board
Division on Life and Earth Studies
National Research Council
NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the governing board
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National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of
Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their
special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
Support for this project was provided by the American Water Works Company, Inc., Cali-
fornia Water Service Company, Severn Trent Environmental Services, the U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency under Contract No. X-82829401, and the University of California
under Award No. SA6138.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Privatization of water services in the United States : an assessment of
issues and experience / Committee on Privatization of Water Services in
the United States Water Science and Technology Board Division on Life
and Earth Studies.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-309-07444-4
1. Water utilities—United States. 2. Water-supply—Economic
aspects—United States. 3. Sewage disposal—Economic aspects—United
States. 4. Privatization—United States. I. National Research Council
(U.S.). Committee on Privatization of Water Services in the United
States.
HD4461 .P75 2002
363.6’1—dc21
2002008161
Privatization of Water Services in the United States: An Assessment of Issues and Experience is
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COMMITTEE ON PRIVATIZATION OF WATER SERVICES
IN THE UNITED STATES
CHARLES W. HOWE, Chair, University of Colorado, Boulder
JEAN E. AUER, American States Water Company, Hillsborough,
California
JANICE A. BEECHER, Beecher Policy Research, Inc., Indianapolis,
Indiana
CHARLES A. BUESCHER, JR., Washington University, St. Louis,
Missouri
LARRY CHERTOFF, Water Industry Council, Brooklyn Heights, New
York
JEROME B. GILBERT, J. Gilbert, Inc., Orinda, California
RICHARD HOWITT, University of California, Davis
DANIEL A. OKUN, The University of North Carolina (Emeritus),
Chapel Hill
DAVID E. RAGER, Cincinnati Water Works, Cincinnati, Ohio
WILLIAM G. REINHARDT, Public Works Financing, Westfield, New
Jersey
WILLIAM N. STASIUK, New York City Department of Environmental
Protection, Kingston, New York
Staff
JEFFREY W. JACOBS, Study Director
ELLEN A. DE GUZMAN, Research Associate
v
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BOARD
RICHARD G. LUTHY, Chair, Stanford University, Stanford, California
JOAN B. ROSE, Vice-Chair, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg
RICHELLE M. ALLEN-KING, Washington State University, Pullman
GREGORY B. BAECHER, University of Maryland, College Park
KENNETH R. BRADBURY, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History
Survey, Madison
JAMES CROOK, CH M Hill, Boston, Massachusetts
2
EFI FOUFOULA-GEORGIOU, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
PETER GLEICK, Pacific Institute, Oakland, California
JOHN LETEY, JR., University of California, Riverside
DIANE M. McKNIGHT, University of Colorado, Boulder
CHRISTINE MOE, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
ROBERT PERCIASEPE, National Audubon Society, Washington, D.C.
RUTHERFORD H. PLATT, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
JERALD L. SCHNOOR, University of Iowa, Iowa City
LEONARD SHABMAN, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University
R. RHODES TRUSSELL, Montgomery Watson, Pasadena, California
Staff
STEPHEN D. PARKER, Director
LAURA J. EHLERS, Senior Staff Officer
JEFFREY W. JACOBS, Senior Staff Officer
WILLIAM S. LOGAN, Senior Staff Officer
MARK C. GIBSON, Staff Officer
M. JEANNE AQUILINO, Administrative Associate
PATRICIA A. JONES, Study/Research Associate
ELLEN A. DE GUZMAN, Research Associate
ANITA A. HALL, Administrative Assistant
ANIKE L. JOHNSON, Project Assistant
JON SANDERS, Project Assistant
vi
Preface
here has been widespread interest in “privatizing” various func-
tions and activities in both the public and private sectors in the
TUnited States at least since the early 1980s. In the water services
sector, privatization has taken many forms, from meter reading and ac-
counting and billing, to operation and maintenance of core water supply
and wastewater facilities, and in some instances the sale of system assets.
Early water utilities in the United States were private companies, but
urban growth eventually prompted many cities to develop publicly
owned water systems. Since World War I, public ownership has been
stimulated by various financial arrangements that reduce the cost of capi-
tal for public water systems.
Water utilities in the United States today often face a combination of
financial, regulatory, and operational challenges. Much of the nation’s
water supply, treatment, and distribution infrastructure was built one
hundred or more years ago. Much of this infrastructure is today in need
of repair or replacement, and population growth in many areas requires
water infrastructure expansion. Decisions about allocating resources for
water infrastructure replacement and expansion are made in a context of
limited or shrinking city budgets, competing demands, and increasingly
stringent water quality regulations. Expenditures to adequately maintain
our essential, but unglamorous, water infrastructure system are thus of-
ten inadequate. As a result, there is a large backlog of deferred mainte-
nance on the nation’s water infrastructure. Local officials are interested in
options that promise to relieve these pressures.
vii
viii PREFACE
Since the middle and late 1980s, new actors have entered the U.S.
water utility scene in the form of large international firms that specialize
in water utility management and ownership. These firms have been able
to offer technical help to smaller systems, and lower costs and new capital
supplies to larger systems. Proposals from these firms have often been
politically attractive by virtue of promises to minimize price increases,
expedite long-delayed maintenance, and provide capital for system ex-
pansion and meeting increasing water quality standards. An important
consequence of this availability of private alternatives has been improved
performance of many public water utilities.
This study springs from strategic planning sessions of the National
Research Council’s Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB). During
the late 1990s, the WSTB noted a growing interest in the prospects for
water services privatization in the United States. The WSTB noted that
some studies of water services privatization had been conducted, but that
a comprehensive review that characterizes many NRC studies would be
timely and useful. In an effort to provide an overview of the key issues in
privatization—including fiscal, policy, management, regulatory, water
quality, and environmental issues—the WSTB drafted a study proposal
and shared it with several prospective sponsors. Given the various pub-
lic-private relations that characterize U.S. water utility operations, it was
fitting that a mix of public and private organizations stepped forth to
provide funding for the study. The committee and the WSTB thank the
following sponsors for their foresight and courage in granting the com-
mittee license to provide an independent review of the key issues: Ameri-
can Water Works Company, Inc., California Water Service Company,
Severn Trent Environmental Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, and the University of California. The committee itself was com-
prised of a range of water service industry experts, public and private
managers, water industry consultants, officials of water industry associa-
tions, government officials, journalists, and academics.
This committee’s report was nearing its conclusion when the tragedy
of September 11, 2001 occurred. Those events may have changed the envi-
ronment for decisions about privatization and appropriate public-private
balance. Those events certainly raised security concerns about our water
utilities, a topic not covered by the committee. Nonetheless, the report
provides useful background information for both public and private offi-
cials in the water utility sector.
The report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their
diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with the proce-
dures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of
this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that
will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as pos-
PREFACE ix
sible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objec-
tivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review com-
ments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of
the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for
their review of this report: John Briscoe, The World Bank; Peter Gleick,
Pacific Institute; Rebecca Parkin, George Washington University; Paul
Seidenstat, Temple University; and Rhodes Trussell, Montgomery
Watson, Inc.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many construc-
tive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the con-
clusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report
before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Patrick
Adkins of the Alcoa Corporation. Appointed by the National Research
Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent ex-
amination of the report was carefully carried out in accordance with the
institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully con-
sidered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely
with the authoring committee and the institution.
The committee wishes to thank the many experts who spoke to the
committee during its early meetings and who provided logistic support,
information, data, and insightful case studies. Finally but certainly not
least, the committee thanks Dr. Jeffrey Jacobs of the Water Science and
Technology Board staff for his tireless editing and unwavering insistence
on clarity and balance throughout our extensive discussions and the writ-
ing process—all with good humor whatever the pressure from reviewers
or the committee chair. Ms. Ellen De Guzman provided excellent arrange-
ments for all our meetings and endless, highly competent assistance in
formatting and editing the chapters and tables, figures and all. Ms.
Rhonda Bitterli also provided excellent editorial advice.
Charles W. (Chuck) Howe
Chair