For the first time, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will have privatized water service. The new service provider stands to gain hundreds of millions of dollars from the deal.
Base officials awarded the lucrative 50-year contract to American Water Operations and Maintenance Incorporated of New Jersey. Selected from four finalists, the company will be responsible for managing the base’s water distribution and wastewater. The contract is worth a total of 490 million dollars.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has moved to privatize several utilities over the years. So far, the base has outsourced 3 utility systems previously managed in-house to civilian companies. In a statement, base officials explained that privatization allows commanders to focus on core missions, rather than making repairs to utility systems.
American Water Operations will begin managing Wright-Patterson’s water distribution system starting next May.
The base employs over 25,000 people in Ohio.