Water Partnership Council Releases Blueprint for Successful Public-Private Partnerships

The Water Partnership Council (WPC) today released its "blueprint" for public-private partnerships to mayors and other municipal officials attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Urban Water Summit last week in Chicago.

The handbook, Establishing Public-Private Partnerships for Water and Wastewater Systems: A Blueprint for Success, offers guidance to communities considering whether to partner with the private sector, and how to manage public-private partnerships to meet their water and wastewater needs.

Based on interviews with 30 community leaders and industry experts, the handbook reflects the collective experience of the Water Partnership Council's members and the communities they serve.

"This handbook is the result of our members' three decades of experience in serving communities across the country-not just from our perspective but from the perspective of our public-sector partners," says Water Partnership Council President Don Evans. "It presents the facts about water and wastewater partnerships and the value they can provide to communities."

Chapters cover everything from the basics of partnering and cost savings, to taking care of employees and developing an effective contract. Chapter 1 describes the WPC's meaning of a "public-private partnership." Chapters 2 through 4 document the benefits that more than a thousand communities have derived from partnering with WPC member companies. Chapters 5 through 9 provide details on how communities can achieve the benefits and avoid the potential pitfalls.

The Water Partnership Council is a non-profit organization established by the leading providers of operational services for water and wastewater systems in the United States. The Council seeks to partner with citizens, local governments, and organizations committed to strengthening this country's water and wastewater infrastructure. Council members are American Water, Covanta Water, OMI, Severn Trent Services, Southwest Water Company Services Group, United Water and USFilter.

Source: WPC