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A Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Alternative Financing and Delivery of Water and Wastewater Services

Author

Listed:
  • Elizabeth Brubaker

    (Environment Probe)

Abstract

Too many drinking water and wastewater systems across Canada threaten public health and the environment. In this report, the author writes that many of the municipally owned and operated systems that treat and distribute drinking water perform poorly and lack the financial resources and expertise to meet the challenges posed by aging infrastructure. Indeed, more than 1,000 systems across Canada violate provincial requirements or are subject to boil-water advisories. Brubaker recommends reforms to the financing and operating of utilities to ensure their long-term sustainability. These include introducing competition for water and wastewater services and taking steps to attract more private expertise and capital investment.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth Brubaker, 2011. "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Alternative Financing and Delivery of Water and Wastewater Services," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 330, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdh:commen:330
    as

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    File URL: https://www.cdhowe.org/a-bridge-over-troubled-waters-alternative-financing-and-delivery-of-water-and-wastewater-services/13325
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. J. Luis Guasch & Jean-Jacques Laffont & Stéphane Straub, 2007. "Concessions of infrastructure in Latin America: Government-led renegotiation," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(7), pages 1267-1294.
    2. Oliver Hart, 2003. "Incomplete Contracts and Public Ownership: Remarks, and an Application to Public-Private Partnerships," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(486), pages 69-76, March.
    3. Steven Renzetti, 2009. "Wave of the Future: The Case for Smarter Water," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 281, February.
    4. Flyvbjerg, Bent & Holm, Mette Skamris & Buhl, Søren, 2006. "Underestimating Costs in Public Works Projects: Error or Lie?," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt98r01936, University of California Transportation Center.
    5. Jean-Etienne de Bettignies & Thomas W. Ross, 2004. "The Economics of Public-Private Partnerships," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 30(2), pages 135-154, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin Dachis, 2017. "New and Improved: How to Bring Institutional Investment into Public Infrastructure," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 473, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    The Water Series; water and sewage services; Canadian municipalities; capital investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • L95 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Gas Utilities; Pipelines; Water Utilities

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