Water Privatization: Private vs. Public

Water has become a very controversial issue in the United States and around the world. As populations increase and resources decrease, the way we use our resources and keep populations safe become more and more important. Throughout the world there are nearly 1.1 billion people who do not have access the clean drinking water. 5 Most of these 1.1 billion people are located in poor areas and do not have the financial means to build the infrastructures needed to provide water to the citizens of their country. 5 Drinking water is an essential part of our everyday life. People must have water to survive, but it must be clean and safe to consume.

Water privatization is putting water rights into private corporations. In developing countries privatization is acceptable but in developed countries water should be left to the public. In the developed countries like the US, France and Europe water is controlled by the public and private companies or corporations. Water remains a function of municipal government in 90% of cities around the US and Suez Environment and Veolia Water are the top two water companies.2 The consensus throughout the US is that water should be the publics responsibility because water in privately owned water facilities is more expensive and in some cases below standards and less desirable.6 People in the US want to keep their water in their hands because they feel better knowing that people like them control and consume the same water as they do and not people who do not. Putting water in the control of private companies has some less desirable effects on the public. These organizations have a profit motive with incentives that cause them to avoid conservation and efficiency measures since profits depend upon volu...

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3. Mead, Andy, 2006, Newberry Wins – ‘No’ on Water, Vote Puts Likely End to Water Debate, Lexington Herald-Leader, November 8, p. A1.

4. United Nations Development Programme, U.N. Human Development Report 2006, Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty, and the Global Water Crisis, web. 6 Dec. 2009 http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr2006_english_summary.pdf

5. Segerfeldt, Fredrik, “Private Water Saves Lives,” CATO INSTITUTE, 2005, web. 6 Dec. 2009 http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=4462

6. Data Download Program, The Federal Reserve Board, 5 Aug 2009, web. 6Dec. 2009 www.federalreserve.gov/datadownload,

7. Bartram, Jamie, World Water Day Report, World Health Organization, 2001, web. 6 Dec. 2009 http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/takingcharge.html