TFTT Report
Misleading and inaccurate “study” published on ownership of utilities and local water policies
The COVID-19 pandemic has reoriented our attention around water accessibility and the important role water plays in protecting public health. Unfortunately, a recent article published in the journal, Utilities Policy, tried to make the case in favor of government-run water systems based on an extremely flawed analysis of a 2015 study of U.S. municipalities that provide water services.
Our latest factsheet outlines all the ways the authors get it wrong and sets the record straight on water companies. In an attempt to show that government-owned utilities are more likely to protect residents and low-income households from water shutoffs, the authors disregard existing policies and programs offered by water companies, lump all non-municipal systems together, oversimplify complicated issues and ignore important nuances.
