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Although water utilities can\u2019t compete for customers, many Western U.S. states allow companies and farmers to lease or sell their water access rights voluntarily. From the 1930s to the 1970s, federal oversight was mostly limited to pipelines, and states\u2019 low price controls dissuaded companies from new exploration. A deregulated utility is an essential energy service (electricity or natural gas) offered by private companies, not public entities.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n