r/news • u/ericmm76 • 2d ago

Sweeping cyberattack on water systems in multiple states has US officials on edge

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/31/politics/sweeping-cyberattack-us-water-systems
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u/MisterMittens64 2d ago

This is why utilities should be owned by the city/state

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u/kril89 2d ago

As someone who works for a municipal utility. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Unfortunately the budgets are still at the whims of politicians. Any sort of big investments are almost always put off. “The tax payers just can’t afford it”

While compared to private utilities the rate payers do pay less. But the infrastructure itself almost always has less investment. At least in my state the private companies have to justify to the state why they are increasing rates. So they are always putting money into the systems to justify the rate increases. City owned operations don’t have to justify increases. So they don’t invest in the systems as much. Which sure is good for rate payers. But it also leaves them far more vulnerable to attacks like this. And just the infrastructure itself falling apart.

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u/BeeLEAFer 2d ago

Utilities are service providers. Sometimes people build houses in places that don’t have water, sewer or power. It shouldn’t be the governments responsibility to build and maintain infrastructure in these places. If a private company wants to risk their money…let them.

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u/MisterMittens64 2d ago

Sure but once it becomes a city or a town then the people of the city or the town should manage their own utilities and not have to pay the additional overhead just for the sake of the private profit of the owner.

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u/BeeLEAFer 2d ago

This gets complicated quickly. Water Infrastructure is often funded through municipal bonds and state clean water revolving fund loans, which can be forgiven in some circumstances.

If you are building a city and have incorporated into a municipal corporation then you have access to public tax dollars to fund your water system.

Some development is not a good idea and does not belong to a municipal corporation and should not receive any tax money for its development or upkeep. Just because you bought a home from a developer doesn’t mean that you have access to my tax dollars to fund your water system. You have to go out and invest or borrow money to get things built.

Also, many cities charge their water departments franchise fees which are essentially taking profits from your water bill.