Veolia Environnement Company

\o7 \f7 INDIANAPOLIS -- In recent years, cities across the U.S. have turned over a vital public service -- providing safe drinking water -- to private enterprise. Driving the trend was the idea that for-profit companies, mainly European conglomerates, could operate water and sewer systems efficiently, keeping water quality high and costs low. In some places, private-sector management helped trim bureaucracies and replace decaying infrastructure, local officials say.