Privatisation of water

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Hello, do u think privatisation of water is a good idea for us? If yes what are the benefit and if not then what are the disadvantages?

6 Answers

  2. It is interesting to note the issues surrounding the business of water. It appears many are against leaving the water industry in private hands. The feeling is that doing so has devastating effect, especially on the poor people. However, I wish to disagree with these sentiments. In my country, at one time in the past, water was regarded as a social good. In many instances water was provided almost free of charge. The scenario created no sense of care for water use and over the years as the population grew, the government found it hard to sustain water supply to the public. Further, the infrastructure got dilapidated resuting in huge water losses.Later reforms were instituted by the government to place water companies in private hands. Since the launch of private companies there has been tremendous improvement in service delivery and a huge reduction in water wastge. This is because there is now a deliberate policy to metre all water consumers and now people practice water conservation habits and pay a reasonable charge for water supplied. The money realised from water sales is channeled back to sustain water supply operations. As you can see I am an advocate of private water companies because of the wonderful effect these companies have had on the people.

  4. Water is LIFE. Water saves LIFE. Water sustains the basic livelihood. So Community's right to Water can not be undermined. Hence Water is for the Community. In the above context, the privatisation approach for Water should just be rejected. Such approach is going to treat the water as 'Economic Good' and is going to violate the basic right to water. Rather an all out effort should be initiated to instituionalise enhanced Community ownership with accountability to ensure it's conservation and sustainability. There should be profound focus on the ground breaking work for Community management of water.

  5. I think one must distinguish between privatisation of water services as separate to the consequential privatisation of water sources and access to these by the pulic. Water is a basic fundamental human right and while one may pay for services privatisation of the sources of water used for services is unacceptable and infringes on fundamental rights. Privatisation of any public sector has its downside as well particularly in it being accessible to the poorer segments of society. Just as in the case of mass transport when privatised can be seen to cost more than private transport in some parts of the world.

  6. Well given water is a necessity of life, to have it controlled privately and not by government I think is a big issue. Things like costs, sanitation, distribution will all be controlled by a private company and many know that cost always increases when it turns out like this. How about access? Will the poor not have much access to water as the rich? Private companies at the end of the day always want to make a profit not thinking about social morality. Anyway, given water is needed by everybody it shouldn't be "owned" by one person. According to me, its not a good idea.