Problem Behavior Program Richard Jessor was an invited participant in a Workshop on Child Labor convened by the National Research Council's Committee on the Health and Safety Implications of Child Labor in Washington, DC, June 25-26. The latter related to a funded project to prepare and distribute a report for public distribution after a great flood about the development of vulnerability to flooding and options to deal with it in the future. He worked for two years on renewing drinking water distribution systems, and now he is working on optimal pricing policies for public water and wastewater utilities, privatization, and regulation of water services. The water industries exhibit multiple market failures. They consist of local, natural, and legal monopoly.
Externalities exist at several stages of the water cycle.
Due to the economic nature of the industry, general competition is not possible nor desirable. They are responsible for producing and distributing drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater. These two activities qualify as industrial and commercial local public services. A public service is clearly defined in French law and means reliability, continuity, mutability, equal access to all, tariffs, and service provided. Furthermore, the French water utilities are required to be financially self-sufficient.