Across the country, communities are facing common challenges when it comes to their local water and wastewater systems: aging infrastructure, more stringent regulations and a lack of capital to invest in projects that will deliver safer, cleaner and more reliable service to customers. For some water systems, partnering with a private, regulated provider offers access to the capital needed to modernize critical infrastructure in a community. In other cases, it’s a lifeline for customers, when local leaders determine that operating increasingly complex water and wastewater systems are no longer core municipal functions.
Long-term success is not measured by who owns a utility system. It is measured by outcomes for residents through real results. Communities benefit most when infrastructure investment is consistent, long-standing water quality challenges are resolved and wastewater operations protect and improve the environment.
Strategic Infrastructure Investments Move Forward
For many communities, access to capital is an immediate benefit of partnering with a private, regulated provider, enabling critical infrastructure projects to progress.
When the City of Coatesville, Pennsylvania chose a private, regulated provider to serve its water and wastewater customers in 2001, the ownership transition was accompanied by more than $70 million of steady, consistent investment in water and wastewater infrastructure over a 20-year period. As a result, major water and wastewater treatment plant upgrades and distribution system improvements were prioritized, financed and realized to increase capacity, support community growth and provide safer, more reliable service to customers.
Voters in Eureka, Missouri, approved a water system sale to a private, regulated water provider after years of water quality concerns, deferred maintenance and growing wastewater needs. The transaction provided $28 million in proceeds to the city, including a commitment to invest more than $37 million over 10 years, and has already resulted in more than $30.5 million invested in Eureka’s water and wastewater systems.
Wastewater Upgrades That Protect and Improve the Environment
Wastewater systems often operate out of sight, but when they fail, the consequences are visible, serious and can be lasting, including sewage overflows, discharge violations and impaired waterways. The leading regulated water and wastewater service providers are investing in infrastructure to improve local waterways, return troubled systems to compliance and protect source water for current and future generations.
In Scranton, Pennsylvania, a wastewater system serving approximately 31,000 customers faced decades of regulatory, operational and financial challenges. In 2013, the EPA issued a Consent Order and Long-Term Control Plan requiring approximately $140 million in environmental improvements. The system struggled with compliance obligations and accumulated penalties tied to violations and wastewater overflows. Following an ownership transfer in 2016, a private, regulated water provider assumed responsibility for the program and has since invested more than $255 million in wastewater infrastructure. The provider completed the first two phases of the Long-Term Control Plan a year ahead of schedule, reduced combined sewer overflows beyond mandated targets, and achieved zero Notices of Violation while advancing projects that protect the Lackawanna River and its tributaries.
In Sheridan, Indiana, the city’s water and wastewater systems consisted of aging facilities dating back to the 1950s. The wastewater treatment plant experienced overloads during wet weather, contributing to 25 bypass and 12 overflow Notices of Violation tied to National Pollutions Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. After acquiring the system assets, a private, regulated wastewater service provider invested $11.4 million investment to construct a new wastewater treatment facility, tripled capacity to support continued growth and returned the system to compliance. Since 2018, more than $65 million has been invested in water and wastewater treatment facilities, distribution systems and other enhancements to better serve customers.
When Long Hill Township’s wastewater system exceeded treatment capacity during wet weather, the result was partially treated discharges into the Passaic River. Selling the wastewater system to a trusted private, regulated wastewater service provider resulted in more than $53 million in wastewater system improvements in the first five years in a comprehensive turnaround story for a local community. To date, the outcome has included rehabilitation of more than 60,000 linear feet of sewer main, rehabilitation of 200 manholes, more than 15 miles of pipe improvements, and $11 million in treatment plant and pump station upgrades with an additional $50 million investment planned through 2030.
The Real Measure: Better Outcomes for Residents
Every community's story is unique.
These communities faced different challenges, ranging from aging infrastructure and water quality concerns to environmental compliance obligations and financial constraints. In each case, community leaders pursued solutions from a private, regulated provider that best served residents and the community.
The results are clear:
- Significant investment in water and wastewater infrastructure.
- Enhanced environmental stewardship and protection of local waterways.
- Access to capital and specialized expertise, technology and long-term planning.
These success stories demonstrate what is possible when communities gain access to resources, expertise and investment needed to address complex water and wastewater challenges. At the core, every water and wastewater partnership is about delivering results for the people who depend on these essential services every day. Private, regulated providers are creating a stronger foundation for public health, environmental stewardship and community prosperity.