Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895
Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | eng |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2011
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64560 |
| _version_ | 1826211586992242688 |
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| author | Bartlett, Sarah J. (Sarah Jo), 1977- |
| author2 | Jennifer Davis. |
| author_facet | Jennifer Davis. Bartlett, Sarah J. (Sarah Jo), 1977- |
| author_sort | Bartlett, Sarah J. (Sarah Jo), 1977- |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:08:20Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/64560 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:08:20Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/645602019-04-11T12:13:27Z Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895 Bartlett, Sarah J. (Sarah Jo), 1977- Jennifer Davis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Urban Studies and Planning. Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2003. Includes bibliographical references (p. 62-65). by Sarah J. Bartlett. M.C.P. The experience of Boston, Massachusetts in recovering costs for their nineteenth century public water supply system, the Cochituate Water Works, is analyzed in light of current policy advice coming from international development banks. Lenders like the World Bank currently advise full-cost pricing for urban water services, and that utilities in developing countries use pricing to manage demand. This thesis asks, how closely did a city in an industrialized country, in its developing stage, follow the policy advice proffered today? The annual reports of Boston's water department were reviewed to determine the extent that Boston recovered costs from users, and the extent that Boston used pricing to manage demand. Archival research revealed that while water rates covered annual operating and maintenance expenses, payment of the interest on construction costs was generally made by new loans or bond issues. The City did not meter households and was loathe to manage demand through price-mechanisms, preferring to augment capacity in the face of constrained water supplies. Archival research also revealed the motivations behind Boston's policies of subsidization. The City initially offered low water rates and subsidized household connections because officials wanted to take advantage of economies of scale, believing that inducing universal subscription would move the system more quickly to financial self-sufficiency. Low water rates also resulted from a perceived high elasticity of demand for water services. The City raised rates during the first twenty years of water system operation in efforts to make the water department financially self-sufficient, but failed. A lack of political and public support for high prices made the City adopt policies of greater subsidization and rate reductions in later years. 2011-06-20T15:50:50Z 2011-06-20T15:50:50Z 2003 2003 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64560 52971451 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 72 p. application/pdf n-us-ma Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Urban Studies and Planning. Bartlett, Sarah J. (Sarah Jo), 1977- Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895 |
| title | Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895 |
| title_full | Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895 |
| title_fullStr | Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895 |
| title_short | Who pays for water? : cost recovery and user fees in Boston's public water infrastructure, 1849-1895 |
| title_sort | who pays for water cost recovery and user fees in boston s public water infrastructure 1849 1895 |
| topic | Urban Studies and Planning. |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/64560 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bartlettsarahjsarahjo1977 whopaysforwatercostrecoveryanduserfeesinbostonspublicwaterinfrastructure18491895 |