Industry Insights

Our Industry Insights provide deep-dive analyses into global water topics, including water infrastructure, industrial water management, digital solutions, and more. Reports are available for purchase (through our Report Store) or with a Corporate Subscription.

 
Quarterly Review + Data
21 Nov 2025

U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies: Key Trends, M&A Activity, and Market Outlook, Q4 2025 
U.S. utility M&A regained momentum in Q3 2025, signaling renewed consolidation pressures across the sector. Bluefield tracked 32 deals, the highest quarterly count since Q3 2023.

Available with corporate subscription
Need Help?
Looking for something specific or a corporate subscription? Get in touch
  • Coverage

  • Research Type

  • Corporate Subscription

  • Level of Access

  • Companies Mentioned

Filtered by ​aqua america
COVERAGE
PRICE / ACCESS

Essential and Investor-Owned Water Utilities Look Beyond the Rate Base 

Essential Utilities’ commitment to the Greene County data center project, slated to come online in 2029, looks less like a strategic pivot and more like...
23 Sep. 2025
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

What’s behind NextEra Water’s Retreat? 

Just one year after establishing a foothold in the water and wastewater utility sector, NextEra’s leadership team has pulled the plug on its brief venture...
18 Apr. 2023
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

Policy Shifts, Inflation Reduction Act Strengthen Opportunity for Renewable Natural Gas 

In the wake of the Inflation Recovery Act’s passage, wastewater solutions providers are poised to benefit from the Section 48 Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC)...
13 Sep. 2022
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. & Canada Municipal Water Market

Geography Plays Potential Role in Water IOU Mitigation Strategies for PFAS 

With state and federal governments increasing their focus on PFAS regulations, public water systems, including investor-owned utilities, will need to make significant investments to meet...
21 Apr. 2022
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

NextEra Signals Approaching Water-Energy Convergence 

On 20 October 2021, during its third-quarter earnings call, NextEra Energy Inc.’s management team announced the acquisition of 17 regulated water and two wastewater utility...
4 Nov. 2021
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Industrial Water MarketU.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

Covid-19 Sets Stage for Water & Wastewater Utility M&A 

As implications of the coronavirus pandemic continue to unfold across the U.S., and around the world, essential water & wastewater service providers are facing unforeseen...
7 Apr. 2020
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

Big Deals Hard to Come by in Municipal Water 

At the close of 2019, two large municipal utility acquisitions were taken off the table underscoring the challenges of large deals involving municipal systems. On...
23 Jan. 2020
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. & Canada Municipal Water MarketU.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

NW Natural Jumps into Texas Water Market 

On 31 October 2019, investor-owned utility (IOU) NW Natural made a move well beyond its current geographic footprint with the acquisition of Texas-based T&W Water...
6 Dec. 2019
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. & Canada Municipal Water MarketU.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

Central States Water Quietly Builds Utility Platform 

Bluefield’s Q3 2019, quarterly tracking and analysis of IOU M&A activity in the U.S. has uncovered new market entries for investor-owned utility Central States Water...
16 Oct. 2019
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

Aqua America Lands Big Fish in Wastewater 

On 17 September 2019, Aqua America Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater, signed an asset purchase agreement with the Delaware County Regional Water...
8 Oct. 2019
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies