According to a press release, The Water Partnership Council has released its first industry report on public-private partnerships. Based on interviews with 31 community leaders currently engaged in public-private partnerships, An Evaluation of Public-Private Partnerships for Water and Wastewater Systems says satisfaction with partnerships is high, employees are satisfied, and impacts on the environment, customers and the community are positive.

Key findings in this first-of-its-kind report include:
o  50 percent of respondents rate overall satisfaction with the partnership as "extremely satisfied," the highest possible ranking. No respondents rate overall satisfaction as anything less than "satisfied."
o  74 percent rate regulatory compliance as better under the partnership than prior to the partnership.
o  92 percent of respondents that projected cost savings achieved those savings; the other 8 percent indicate it is too early in the partnership to tell.
o  93 percent of respondents note that involuntary employee turnover declined or remained the same.
o  93 percent of respondents say that employees have more training and professional growth opportunities than they did prior to the partnership.
o  64 percent of respondents report a decrease in employee grievances under the partnership; none report an increase.
o  93 percent of respondents note that private partners proactively participate in community activities above and beyond what's required in their contracts.

The Water Partnership Council is a non-profit organization established by the leading providers of operational services for water and wastewater systems in the United States. The Council seeks to partner with citizens, local governments, and organizations committed to strengthening this country's water and wastewater infrastructure.

Click here to read the report.