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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Do Fair Market Value Policies Drive Water & Wastewater Utility Acquisitions? 

Bluefield has tracked approximately 130 system acquisitions, annually, of which only a share have been executed using Fair Market Value (FMV). Despite being adopted in...
25 Jan. 2021
Insight ReportDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities.

Fair Market Value: Benchmarking a Decade of Water Utility Acquisitions 

Since 2015, Bluefield has tracked 138 fair market value deals totaling over US$1.9 billion, involving more than 347,900 connections changing hands. These transactions account for...
10 Dec. 2025
Insight Report + DataDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities. Data access available to Data Navigator seat holders and report buyers.

U.S. Investor-Owned Utilities M&A Update, Year-End 2016 

More than US$622 million of acquisitions for 56 deals were completed in 2016, pushing the total executed deal value since the start of 2013 to...
19 Jan. 2017
Insight ReportDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities.

Water Mergers & Acquisitions: Key Trends in a Changing Global Landscape 

Water related M&A activity has been robust over the last three years, surpassing US$57 billion, globally, since the start of 2014. Intensifying concerns over water...
29 Apr. 2017
Insight ReportDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities.

U.S. Private Water Utilities: Drivers, Competitive Landscape and Acquisition Trends, 2019 

This new Focus Report from Bluefield Research provides an in-depth analysis of the changing investor-owned utility landscape in the U.S., including key policy drivers, M&A...
31 May. 2019
Insight ReportDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities.

U.S. Investor-Owned Water Utilities: M&A Deals & Trends, Q3 2017 

More than US$187 million of acquisitions for 28 deals were completed in the second quarter of this year. While American Water and Aqua America further built...
2 Aug. 2017
Insight ReportDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities.

Investor-Owned Utilities in Water: Market Share, Trends, and Company Rankings 

As city managers and utility leaders confront increasing challenges related to workforce constraints, regulatory issues, and mounting capital investment needs, IOUs offer an alternative approach...
27 May. 2025
Insight Report + DataDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities. Data access available to Data Navigator seat holders and report buyers.

Private Water Utility Ownership in Texas: Competitive Landscape, Geographic Positioning, and Market Trends 

In response to the growing interest in private participation in Texas water utilities, Bluefield’s team of water experts has mapped system ownership positions across the...
11 Sep. 2022
Insight ReportDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities.

U.S. Municipal Water & Wastewater: Defining the Addressable Market for Private Investment 

Established investor-owned utility companies – and a host of potential outside financial investors are refining their strategies to expand or develop their positions in U.S water
13 Nov. 2017
Insight ReportDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities.

Investor-Owned Utilities in Water: Market Share and Company Rankings 

The U.S. water and wastewater utility landscape is heavily fragmented across 48,587 community water systems serving 313 million people and 23,481 wastewater treatment facilities serving...
23 Apr. 2024
Insight Report + DataDeep dive analysis on comprehensive topics to identify market opportunities. Data access available to Data Navigator seat holders and report buyers.