 The deep asset deficit left by many private water companies means that municipalities are working with decrepit equipment and collapsing infrastructure that can be more expensive to repair than to replace and build anew.Private firms have also demonstrated that they can be politically difficult, sabotaging transition efforts to try and undermine the public provider.In many cases the private companies refuse to release critical operational information, attempt to take the municipalities to court for breach of contract, or initiate PR campaigns in an effort to undercut the credibility of the remunicipalisation initiatives.