An Innovative Organizational Arrangement for Comprehensive Water Services: The Thames Water Authority as a Model for Complex Urban Areas of the Great Lakes

Abstract

A need exists for regional consideration and evaluation of comprehensive water services in complex urban areas. The Thames Water Authority (TWA) in England provides such comprehensive water services to the entire Thames River Basin including metropolitan London; an are of 5000 square miles with a population of 12 million. In recognition of the possible application of such a concept to complex urban areas of the Great Lakes, the principal investigator spent six months as a participant-observer with the Authority and provides a detailed description of its organization and operation. In addition, criteria are established by which water services in complex urban areas may be evaluated and the TWA is so evaluated. Preliminary evaluations are also provided for Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, although a more thorough analysis is left to interested persons in each region. If sufficient interest in the Regional Water Authority concept results from the evaluations within each region, it is recommended that a conference be held which would bring together personnel from the three regions along with invited guests from other Great Lakes states and representatives from one or more Regional Water Authorities in England and Wales.