Acquired by Apollo Global
Apollo will load Maverick's water systems infrastructure with acquisition debt, transferring financial risk to the utility while extracting fees
Water main replacement and infrastructure upgrade schedules will be deferred, leading to more frequent pipe breaks and service disruptions
Emergency response times for water main breaks and service outages will lengthen as maintenance crews are reduced or outsourced
Water quality testing frequency will be reduced, with more reliance on automated monitoring rather than comprehensive lab analysis
Customer service will degrade with longer hold times, elimination of local offices, and offshore call center replacement
Apollo announces 'investment in critical water infrastructure' and 'operational excellence initiatives'; executive leadership replaced with PE-aligned management; consultants deployed for 'efficiency studies'
First wave of layoffs in non-technical roles (customer service, administrative); deferred maintenance lists grow; early rate case filings citing 'infrastructure investment needs' that primarily cover debt service
Visible service degradation: longer outage restoration times, more boil water notices due to main breaks, customer complaints about billing errors increase; water quality lab staffing cuts lead to delayed test results; local offices consolidated or closed
Infrastructure condition visibly deteriorates with more frequent main breaks, discolored water events, and pressure complaints; regulatory scrutiny increases as safety margins narrow; Apollo pursues dividend recapitalization extracting cash through additional debt
System reaches critical maintenance backlog; either forced sale to municipal ownership, regulatory intervention, or continued deterioration with ongoing rate hikes to cover debt rather than infrastructure
Document baseline water quality now: request annual Consumer Confidence Report and save copies for comparison
Install whole-house water filtration as insurance against future quality degradation and main break contamination events
Join or form a local water customer advocacy group to monitor Public Utility Commission rate case filings
Report all service disruptions, discolored water, and pressure issues to both Maverick AND state environmental regulators to create paper trail
Consider backup water storage (minimum 3-day supply) for anticipated increase in boil water notices and outage duration
Look for family-owned or employee-owned businesses