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.

 
Insight Report
23 Dec 2025

Energy Optimization for Water Utilities: A Digital Playbook for Cost and Carbon Reduction 
Energy costs rank among the top three operating expenses for water utilities, offering significant opportunities for cost savings. Energy use in the water sector accounts for 11% to as much as 40% in operational expenditure. This substantial portion and range underscores the potential for optimizing energy costs across the water cycle.

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U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies: Key Trends, M&A Activity, and Market Outlook, Q3 2025 

Unitil Corporation marked its water sector debut with a pending US$100 million purchase of the Aquarion Water Company’s assets in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Meanwhile,...
9 Sep. 2025
Quarterly Review + DataAnalysis and insights of previous quarter water market activity, trends, and events. Data access available to Data Navigator seat holders.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies Data Seat Holders

U.S. Private Water: Key Trends, M&A Activity, and Market Outlook, Q1 2022 

2021 will go down as the most active year for utility acquisitions in Bluefield’s U.S. private water market records to date. The number of approved...
28 Feb. 2022
Quarterly ReviewAnalysis and insights of previous quarter water market activity, trends, and events.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

U.S. Private Water: Key Trends, M&A Activity, and Market Outlook, Q4 2021 

Despite fewer third-quarter approvals than initially anticipated, 2021 is still on track to become the most active year in terms of utility acquisitions in the...
5 Dec. 2021
Quarterly ReviewAnalysis and insights of previous quarter water market activity, trends, and events.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

Inframark-ESG Build Water O&M Portfolio via M&A 

On 15 October 2021, Pennsylvania-based Inframark announced its acquisition of ESG Operations, a municipal and industrial operations & maintenance services company. The new company will...
12 Nov. 2021
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

Water Mergers & Acquisitions: Trends and Deal Flow, Q3 2021 

The first half of 2021 saw the highest six-month deal flow recorded by Bluefield to date with 239 deals. The private water and digital water...
30 Sep. 2021
Quarterly ReviewAnalysis and insights of previous quarter water market activity, trends, and events.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY Global Water Competitive Landscape

U.S. Private Water: Key Trends, M&A Activity, and Market Outlook, Q3 2020 

The 28 transactions in this past quarter exceeded the 20 deals in Q2 2019. Still early in calculating the impacts of a COVID-driven recession, the...
18 Aug. 2020
Quarterly ReviewAnalysis and insights of previous quarter water market activity, trends, and events.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.S. Water Utility Ownership & Strategies

U.S. Private Water: Key Trends, M&A Activity, and Market Outlook Q2, 2020 

The first quarter of 2020 signals increasing opportunities for growth across the U.S. private water market as water & wastewater systems contend with the public...
30 Apr. 2020
Quarterly ReviewAnalysis and insights of previous quarter water market activity, trends, and events.
CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY CORPORATE SUBSCRIPTION ONLY U.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

American Water’s Retreat from Municipal O&M Signals Caution for Outsourcing Strategies 

On 9 July 2018, U.S.-based investor-owned utility (IOU) American Water Works Company, Inc. announced the sale of 23 of its 33 active operations and maintenance...
30 Jul. 2018
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.

Suez Seeks Efficiencies with Onsite Reuse in NY 

On 28 February 2018, Suez announced the construction of a water recycling system at the Nassau County Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in New...
27 Mar. 2018
Research NoteBrief research summaries of market development or company strategies.