Flows of capitaland flows of water: The textile industryand the privatisation of,the water supply in sabadell in the second half of the 20th century

The paper examines the history of water supply in the city of Sabadell during the second half of the 20th Century and especially the period of privatization of this supply which took place in 1949 with the creation of the company CASSA. The main theoretical argument that underlies this research is the close relationship existing between water and urbanization or between the private control of essential services and urban growth. When at the end of the 20th century the textile industry, until then the economic engine of the city, begins to encounter difficulties, the new business venture nucleated around the water cycle allows for new areas of capital accumulation for the city elites. CASSA constitutes an example of how Sabadell has changed from a strong industrial base to a city where banking, finance and the provision of services such as water constitute the current backbone of the local economy.