Use of P3s for Small Infrastructure Projects: a Personal Perspective

In recent years, many governmental authorities find that they have fewer budgetary dollars to address needed infrastructure repairs and upgrades. Moreover, national engineering organizations, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), have assigned poor or failing marks to the state of America’s infrastructure. For example, recent ASCE Report Cards for the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure average a grade of D; and the capital investment needs for such systems are estimated to cost in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Few would argue that addressing water and wastewater infrastructure needs, especially those for small municipalities, is, at best, a daunting challenge. Privatization through use of public-private partnerships (P3s) offers local municipalities and others avenues to achieve upgraded infrastructure.