AWWA ACE91138 ✓ Most Recent

The author provides history and background on the privatization of water services in England and Wales. In 1974, the government in effect nationalized all water systems in the country and formed 10 separate companies to run them. It then, 14 years later, privatized and floated them on the world's stock exchanges. Discussion here encompasses the privatization model and regulatory framework, including economic regulation, control of charges, and quality control. Another alternative is the French model, in which municipalities own the water works but they are operated (and often built) by private companies. The author concludes by challenging the United States to consider the European models as solutions to its own problems. See more