The problem is that state's aren't really motivated to get things done in a cost efficient manner. If the government in SA is like the US, employees are not rewarded for doing anything beyond the bare minimum to prove that they are still alive. In a private business, the employees have to help the business towards its goal of making money, so all of the incentives are aligned to be successful (employees want promotions and not to get fired, the investors don't want to lose money).

Someone will surely try your suggestion at some point, and I hope we don't get to find out what the Enron of water supply looks like.

"Newly discovered tapes have revealed how the energy corporation Enron shut down at least one power plant on false pretences, deliberately aggravating California's crippling 2001 blackouts with the aim of raising prices."

[0] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/feb/05/enron.usnew...

> The problem is that state's aren't really motivated to get things done in a cost efficient manner.

And businesses aren't really motivated to provide cheap water or more than bare-minimum health standards.

There are obvious pros and cons on both sides of that debate.

>And businesses aren't really motivated to provide cheap water or more than bare-minimum health standards.

Neither are governments (see Flint).