Ohio military base looks to privatize utilities

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s largest military base is expected to privatize more energy and utility operations as it tries to offset steep cuts in the federal defense budget.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton already has asked for bids to privately manage two water plants on the base that pump more than 3 millions of gallons a day out of an underground aquifer.

“Right now, it’s all in house,” Col. Cassie B. Barlow, commander of the 88th Air Base Wings, told the Dayton Daily News. “What the Department of Defense has decided to do is privatize all of our utilities so water is just one of them.”

The Defense Logistics Agency also has asked for bids to maintain the base infrastructure for wastewater collection and natural gas distribution at the state’s largest single-site employer, base spokesman Daryl Mayer said.