Water - will we soon be thirsty?

I love water - love to drink it, love to soak in it, love to look at it - love it. For several years I've been buying bottled water because I want to avoid flouride - BUT - it seems I've been duped. Using bottled water may be the worst thing a water-lover can do. I'm posting three brief notes about water from a website called Man, Woman, Canoe - water privitization, water purifiers. I'm also going to change habits and get a water filter that filters out flouride. Another informative website is WHRnet Issue - Women and Water Privatization.

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Who's Water Is It?

US: Nestle Waters NA wants to pump groundwater from two more sites in Michigan, one of which is thought to be near the headwaters of a state-protected trout stream. They're looking for additional sources of spring water for the Ice Mountain brand. The company has been bottling water since 2002 at one facility using about 80 million gallons per year from underground springs. At least some locals believe this would cause a serious negative effect on the this most valuable resource. Nestle is already in one lawsuit over bottling right against the claim that their current plant is diminishing nearby wetlands and a stream. When you buy bottled water you are contributing to this threat to earth's waterways. Get a filter for your tap and your own bottle instead: Save water and save a lot of money.

India: A leading American consumer protection group described privatization as a "seductive option" and commended India for turning it down despite pressure from the World Bank. The World Bank frequently ties financing help to demands to privatize. The problem is that corporations charge whoever can pay for the water. Many privatization schemes have failed to deliver and have made things worse by raising rates and cutting off access. "New Delhi's problems are daunting. Rejecting water privatization, and strengthening democratic institutions to better manage the people's water, is a critical first step," said a representative of Corporate Accountability International.

UK: Climate change, increasing desertification due to soil erosion, and growing populations increase the appeal of investment in water, delegates at an investment conference reported. Growing populations and urbanization in developing countries puts a premium on investments in water infrastructure and industrial processing of water. Some parts of the world are consuming up to 30 times the replenishment rate of the water table. Friends of Water believes they are right about the issue. But the more privitization becomes a reality, the more health and social problems we'll have. Water is a human right. Save Water. We can't let it become controlled by private interests.