The Commercialization of Water Utilities

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.

Autorentext
Richard Windischhofer earned his Ph.D. in Management from
University of Tampere. He practices collaborative scientific
research in the field of industrial management by working with
globally operating Industrial companies based in Finland.

Klappentext
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.