Interlocal Interactions, Municipal Boundaries, and Water and Wastewater Expenditure in City-Regions

Urban regions derive social and economic benefits as local governments supply water and wastewater services. We analyze differences in water and wastewater spending programs in US city-regions. The municipal provision of water and wastewater services is situated in a regional context, examining how cities respond to different needs for services within regions. We use pooled data from 2002 to 2017 to examine changes in municipal water and wastewater expenditures. Our central finding is that water and wastewater programs vary considerably across city-regions. Additional findings are that the municipal provision of these programs appears to be correlated with the interaction between adjacent cities and changes to their jurisdictional boundaries. City governments may adapt their allocation of resources to water and wastewater functions according to the regional conditions surrounding city jurisdictions. This paper connects theories of boundary change with systems of interlocal cooperation that support water and wastewater functions in urban regions