BEECHER - NAWC

-----------~~~-Water ComparedIndustries ComparedHistorical Pattern of Ownership in theWater Industry (1800 to 1896)1,800-,-----~enQ)E:.;:::::;1,6001,400::> 1,200.....2co 1,000~800-0.....Q).0E:::Jz600400200--Public-a-Private0- --r --T- --r-------T--r----1~---~1----,--~-~ ----~~--10 LO 0 LO 0 LO 0 LO 0 LO 0 LO 0 LO 0 LO 0 LO 0 co0 0 ...... ...... N N (") (") 'vvnership StructureThe prevailing mode of ownership in the telecommunications and energy fields is privateownership. Although the water industry also began with a strong private role, publicownership eventually prevailed. Water supply traditionally has been viewed by many as aPrivately Owned Water Systems by Type(1995)Other (2,613)16%association(5,723)35%Investor-owned,dependent onparent company(6,814)41%Investor-owned,not dependenton parentcompany(1,389)8%more of function of local government (aspart of "public works") than other utilityservices. The strong linkage betweenwater service and local economicdevelopment, and the strong desire ofcities to control water supply, explains therelatively parochial nature of water systemownership.Most larger communities in the UnitedStates are served by municipally ownedwater systems. By contrast, mostmunicipal electric and natural gas systemsare relatively small in size when comparedto the industry's investor-owned giants.NAWC47September 1998