The Consent Order as Mandated Collaboration: The Case of Hampton Roads Sanitation District

Abstract

In an age of growing infrastructure needs and increasingly limited resources to meet those needs, governments at all levels must search for ways to close the resources gap, as is the case of wastewater treatment and the requirement to treat stormwater. Recent efforts to address water quality have focused on collaboration as a mechanism to achieve desired outcomes. This article traces the development and implementation of a mandated collaborative effort to address stormwater infiltration into the sanitary sewer system in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area. We find that, unlike more traditional conceptions of collaboration, the consent order in place served to require the participants to work together to achieve positive outcomes. We conclude with some general thoughts about the use of mandated collaboration as a lens to understand collaborative processes in public works settings.