United Water, in its farewell and good luck letter to Reidsville, N.C. last month, cited a long list of cost savings and system improvements it had made since 1992, when it took over O&M of the city’s wastewater treatment plant and lift stations.

The town is planning a $20-million upgrade of its system and decided, with advice from its consultants, that it could run the plant cheaper and better, partly by adding two new operators to United Water’s 18.