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ABSTRACT
In the late 1980s, Henrico County, a large adjacent suburban jurisdiction of the City of
Richmond, Virginia decided to terminate its exclusive dependence on Richmond for its
supply of water, through the contract approach, and construct and operate its own water
treatment plant. For a variety of economic and environmental reasons, Richmond
opposed this initiative by Henrico County and the resultant dispute became popularly
known as the “Water War,” between the two jurisdictions. As a result of the involvement
of a multiple number of political actors and organizations, a negotiated settlement of the
dispute was finally reached in the mid-1990’s allowing Henrico to proceed with the
construction and operation of its own water treatment plant. This case study underscores
the importance and applicability of the “garbage can” model of decision-making as
advanced by Michael Cohen, James March, and Johan Olsen.