Trends in privatization

Competition is changing the face of the public water supply profession. Internal and external competition will likely change the domestic water–wastewater industry in the first part of the twenty‐first century. Regulatory requirements calling for new or upgraded plants, the consequences of deferred maintenance, resistance to rate increases, and communities in financial turmoil promise to threaten both the industry's response to competitive pressures and the desire to improve. This article reports the results of a national survey indicating the trends that are emerging in the public water market to fight these problems. Although some respondents have turned to performance or management audits, outsourcing, staff reductions, automation, and benchmarking to effect change and become more competitive, many are considering public–private partnerships.