American Cities Battle Private Water Companies for Public Control of Water

National Radio Project. Posted January 29, 2009.

Here's a look at communities in the U.S. that are rising up against the private control of water.

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The privatization of public water supplies is occurring in many places around the world. Sold like a common commodity, the rights for distribution and management of community water are being bought and controlled more and more by private entrepreneurs and corporations. But a global movement of activists say this most basic element of life should stay in the hands of the people who use it and out of the control of profit-seeking corporations or government bureaucracies.

On this edition, we investigate what's behind customer complaints of American Water, North America's largest private water company. And we'll take you to Detroit, Michigan, where anti-poverty activists are leading the fight to demand that access to water be treated as a human right and not a commodity.

See more stories tagged with: water, privatization, right to water

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Already the case.... [Report this comment] Posted by: davidzet on Jan 29, 2009 1:51 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] ....that communities need to watch the private OR public water providers. Stop the hysterical "activists at work" FUD and get back to workig with your local water managers -- private OR public... David (aguanomics.com) [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Horrifying... [Report this comment] Posted by: V on Jan 30, 2009 10:24 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] yet not surprising. The time to stop this movement is now, before the the private holders have "interests" to protect, they will fight much harder 3 or 5 years down the line. We've seen where the privatising road leads us with the insurance agencies and the "security" convoys we used in Iraq. Maybe it is a manageable situation where it has to be now, but it won't be in 5 years when water scarcity has tripled. At least we hav e an administation that will listen and give attention to a fair and lgical argument in the best intrest of the general public. We need to make sure this right moment is maximized. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] water privitization [Report this comment] Posted by: pfm on Feb 3, 2009 2:55 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] For the last 40 years America has chosen to educate its youth on a steady diet that government is bad and wrong and that private industry and enterprise is the hold grail. It is not surprising then that today we lean in the predictable direction that corporate or private ownership of all form of water is the way to go. Interestingly seemingly from out of no where a transparency is permeating this myth and folks around the globe are becoming increasingly aware of just what happens when water becomes labeled and declared solely a – commodity – for sale to whomever has the deepest pocket$. The end result though not often readily apparent at first is to rape, pillage and plunder the water in whatever manner to enhance next quarter’$ bottom line. I personally want to applaud anyone who stands defiantly to declare their water is not for sale to anyone but for equitable use by everyone. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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