If you’re relatively in control of your life, the logical question is who is in control of your water?
Water security worldwide is threatened, more now than in the past 60 years. Public access to clean consumable water is under attack from private water companies; as they grow public access to consumable water supplies will diminish.
According to the UNEP’s illustration of global water stress, the availability of water in the United States is clearly changing. ((Increased global water stress – United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).))
Water and wastewater operations in the US are highly fragmented, though some are advanced technologically, there are over 50,000 service providers; municipal owned and controlled supply and distribution systems are the norm but there are many private companies, which are separately regulated. ((Water and Waste Utilities of the World – ABS Energy Research, Ed 6 2004)) Much of the existing wastewater infrastructure, including collection systems, treatment plants and equipment, is deteriorated and in need of repair or replacement. With municipal budgets being squeezed in the US and in many other industrial countries the possibilities of privatization and/or private/public partnerships to meet infrastructure needs is receiving considerable attention. ((Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan. 2010. – U.S. Wastewater Treatment Factsheet.” Pub No. CSS04-14)) Private water companies see pollution of water as securing their positions.
The private drinking water business is a $4.3 billion per year business. Private water companies own about 16% of the nation’s community water systems, producing some 4.6 billion gallons of water a day, about 1.7 trillion gallons per year.((National Association of Water Companies))
Protests and concerns about “Fracking” technology and any proposed “pipelines” are far from unfounded; the fossil fuels derived from these endeavors is not where the greatest profits will be made; “If” water becomes scarce and any more contaminated, the public will be dependent upon industry to clean it for consumption.
There are ten publicly traded water utility companies and nearly 73 million Americans (23%) receive water service from privately owned water utility or a municipal utility operating under a public-private partnership and 20% of all wastewater utilities in the US (about 4,200 facilities) are privately owned. ((National Association of Water Companies))As of 2005, only 14% of Americans still rely on wells or some other “self-supplied” water. ((The Big Thirst – Fishman C, Free Press (2012).))
Within our lifetime, it will be the responsibility of the consumer to clean their own water for consumption or pay the price that private companies dictate.
So who controls your water?
What are the best options to secure premium drinking water supplies?