Approximately 90 percent of water users worldwide receive water through public supply systems.
Approximately 90 percent of water users worldwide receive water through public supply systems. The transfer of these systems to private companies would lead to fee increases, cutbacks, and significant layoffs of employees in the water sector.
How does the privatization of water sources affect water quality?
Dr. Klaus Lanz, founder and head of the independent institute "International Water Affairs" based in Switzerland, states in "The National Economy" (May 22, 2019): "Water supply privatization has not proven successful. The world's most radical privatization venture was ordered in 1989 by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Unlike the otherwise typical model of time-limited concessions, she had all water management facilities in England and Wales transferred to newly established joint-stock companies—debt-free and at no cost. 30 years later, water supply in England is primarily in the hands of foreign investment companies that possess no industry-specific expertise.
Due to decades of neglect in maintenance investments, water losses from the neglected pipe networks rank among the highest in all of Europe. At London's water supplier Thames Water, for example, approximately 40 percent of the water fed into the system seeps away: per household, that amounts to 183 L per day. For comparison: in Switzerland, water loss is 13 percent. At the same time, owners in England withdraw approximately 2 billion British pounds in dividends from the system annually. This translates to 83 pounds per household and accounts for more than 20 percent of the water price. The Labour Party has announced its intention to bring water supply back under public responsibility.
The Swiss organizations Mulitwatch as well as the international human rights organization Corporate Accountability International are committed to safeguarding the human right to water and ensuring free access to water for all people, preserving water resources for the common good, and opposing corporate control of water.
Insufficient expertise in the field of drinking water also impacts water quality. Clean, toxin-free water is ensured through the use of a professional reverse osmosis filter system.
The National Economy | Water Supply Privatization Has Not Proven SuccessfulIndustrialized nations spend approximately 2 percent of their gross domestic product on the water sector: alone...