Nations on both sides of the Atlantic are struggling with water and wastewater infrastructure deficits. An international panel at the 21st Annual National Conference of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships recently held in Toronto discussed some of the benefits and limitations of public-private partnerships (P3s), in which aspects of water and wastewater system ownership and operation are privatized.Panelists agreed that the cost of providing water and wastewater services will continue to rise. Price pressure includes addressing infrastructure deficits of the past, increased population and more stringent environmental regulations.The greatest benefit of P3s is that they force proponents to consider
