Water Sector News

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Pennsylvania community halts largest sewer privatisation deal in US history

Sep 9, 2022

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/08/pennsylvania-water-sewer-system-privatisation-fails

A community in Pennsylvania has stopped the privatisation of its public water and sewer system, scuppering a corporate takeover that residents feared would have led to higher bills.

A $1.1bn bid by Aqua for the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority (BCWSA) system would have been the largest sewer privatisation deal in American history. The company’s bid for the water service has already failed, but now the county commissioners have shut the door completely after siding with residents who opposed privatisation.

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It’s a major victory for local and national campaigners opposed to the predatory takeover of public services like water and sewerage, as a growing number – like in Jackson, Mississippi – are buckling under climate shocks after years of neglect, institutional racism and underinvestment.