More communities around the country are taking steps this month toward local ownership of their water systems. Last week residents of Rosario, Vusario and Orcas Highlands communities on Orcas Island in Washington State voted to annex their private water utility to the publicly owned and operated Eastsound Sewer and Water District.

The Orcas Island communities are among the growing ranks of small communities looking to break ties to their private water provider and instead opt for public ownership of their water services. In March, the town of Cave Creek, Arizona will take over operation of its water utility from Arizona American Water, much like it took over operation of the Desert Hills water utility in January of this year.

On February 12, the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, began transferring 9,000 customers of Aqua Indiana — a subsidiary of Aqua America — to public water in the company’s poorest performing area of the city. In recent years, Fort Wayne residents have received excellent service from the city’s public utility, while complaints in northern parts of the city serviced by Aqua Indiana were 250 percent greater than nearby service areas. In 2002, Fort Wayne began using eminent domain to purchase the utility from Aqua Indiana.

Other cities like Tiffin, Ohio and Scottsdale, Arizona are also exploring the feasibility of purchasing their water utilities from private companies in the future.

Meanwhile, Congress must support the ability of communities to improve and maintain their public water system by a establishing a national clean water trust fund. A trust fund would establish a dedicated source of public funding so that communities across America can keep their water clean, save, and affordable.

You can encourage Congress to establish a clean water trust fund by signing the Protect America’s Water pledge here.

To learn more about funding clean water, click here.