Answering Ten Burning Questions about the Private Water Industry

Bluefield water experts recently presented a private water client webcast in collaboration with the National Association of Water Companies, From PFAS to Consolidation: Key Water Market Developments Impacting Utility Strategies. In this special mailbag episode, podcast host Reese Tisdale and Senior Analyst Charlie Suse answer industry questions received from this webcast, providing in-depth insights into key water market developments. Topics covered, questions answered: How does Bluefield define the range (very small–very large) for water utility system sizes, especially when evaluating the relationship between system size and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations? When the health-based violation data is normalized against the number of community water systems, what does that data show? What is a realistic annual cost estimate for PFAS maximum contaminant level compliance, given that the EPA's US$1.5 billion per year estimate seems low? How much are Public Utility Commissions willing to provide rate relief for consolidators purchasing small, troubled systems? How is workforce development and the fast approaching retirement wave affecting the water industry? How has the role of private equity played out in the regulated/non-regulated water utility segments? How has the non-regulated market grown in the last decade, and what is its future trajectory? What are the opportunities in private water outside the U.S.? Why is wastewater seen as less risky and more attractive for market entry? Beyond the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, what is the outlook for future federal incentives in the water sector? If you enjoy listening to The Future of Water Podcast, please tell a friend or colleague, and if you haven’t already, please click to follow this podcast wherever you listen. If you’d like to be informed of water market news, trends, perspectives and analysis from Bluefield Research, subscribe to Waterline, our weekly newsletter published each Wednesday. Related Research & Analysis: From PFAS to Consolidation, Key Water Market Developments Impacting Utility Strategies Opportunities in the U.S. Private Water Market Investor-Owned Utilities in Water: Market Share and Company Rankings