Water utilities are increasingly managed like private
sector businesses. As a consequence, water services
turn from a public service into a foremost commercial
operation. Short-term profit maximization wins
over infrastructure investments. While most research
treats this problem as a consequence of privatization
and argues that water services are safer when in
public hands, this book shows how water services
commercialize under public ownership. By taking a
close look at the change processes, the involved
actors, and outcomes, the entrepreneurialization of
local government is identified as the main cause of
the commercialization of water utilities. The
conclusion is that keeping water services in public
ownership cannot be the answer to sustainable water
services alone.
sector businesses. As a consequence, water services
turn from a public service into a foremost commercial
operation. Short-term profit maximization wins
over infrastructure investments. While most research
treats this problem as a consequence of privatization
and argues that water services are safer when in
public hands, this book shows how water services
commercialize under public ownership. By taking a
close look at the change processes, the involved
actors, and outcomes, the entrepreneurialization of
local government is identified as the main cause of
the commercialization of water utilities. The
conclusion is that keeping water services in public
ownership cannot be the answer to sustainable water
services alone.