Glas Cymru: lessons from nine years as a not-for-profit public–private partnership

Abstract

Glas Cymru Cyfyngedig has owned Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, the private provider of water and sewerage in Wales, since 2001. It is run as a not-for-profit company for the purpose of minimizing customer tariffs and improving customer service and environmental sustainability. The financial model has largely been able to deliver these objectives, while lowering the cost of financing these operations. The model looks to be replicable as long as there is suitable political and regulatory support.

Keywords:

• water utility
• not-for-profit
• regulation
• affordability
• finance