就在几年前，生活用水/废水的竞争还是闻所未闻的。但随着我们接近20世纪末，内部和外部的竞争不仅成为现实，而且可能在21世纪初改变整个行业。全国各地的社区都在努力满足增长和老龄化对其设施的需求，同时感受到降低成本和稳定利率的政治和公众压力。随着越来越多的社区关注提高自身竞争地位的需要，他们将转向内部重组等选项- 工程、私有化、有管理的竞争、P/P/P以及实现其目标的其他替代方法。

Just a few years ago, competition in the world of domestic water/wastewater was unheard of. But as we near the end of the 20th century, competition internally and externally has become not just a reality, but a force likely to change the entire industry in the early years of the 21st century. Communities across the country are struggling to meet the demands of growth and age on their facilities while at the same time feeling the political and public pressure to reduce costs and stabilize rates. As more communities focus on the need to improve their competitive position, they will turn to options such as internal re-engineering, privatization, managed competition, P/P/P's and other alternative approaches to achieve their goals.