Who gave Water Companies the right to charge people for Water,and how can they privitize common resources?

Answer 1

it was Thatcher that came up with the idea of selling of the utilities that our parents and grandparents had bought and paid for through their taxes and charges.
Like with selling council houses, she banked on the greed of people stopping them questioning how she had the right to dispose of things that belonged to us all. One of the worst consequences of course is that the water companies will not invest in building more reservoirs to contain the ample amounts of rain that falls on Britain. They would rather invest in water meters as they are cheaper, and restrict the water each household receives. Remember too the massive profits that the companies make. When they belonged to us, profit could have been invested in the plant or returned to the government. As water was not so well distributed 150 years ago, leading to cholera and typhus outbreaks, maybe these are the real Victorian values that her supporters kept spouting.

Answer 2

They do need to charge to treat it and maintain the system, you are basically paying for the privilege of having clean water piped into your home while making no effort to collect it. You can still get water for free, by either collecting rain water or getting it out of a river with a bucket but how many people want to do that?

One other thing that's interesting to know, unlike all the other utilities in the uk the water companies are not allowed to cut off your supply if you don't pay your bill, but they can take you to court for it. This incidently is the law, it doesn't depend on the water company at all.

I do think water should be supplied on a non profit basis though, making money out of water is like making money by selling people the air they need to breathe.

Note: I'm not talking about bottled water here, if you choose to buy bottled water then that is up to you, I'm talking about the basic drinking water supply which everyone needs to stay alive, which should in my opinion be run purely to cover costs as making a profit out of something you don't have a choice about buying like drinking water is unethical. Where will it stop? When the air is so polluted it's unbreathable will you be happy for companies to make millions cleaning it? Or would you rather the governments set up a system that does it just to cover the costs incurred and sustain itself.

Also Coca-Cola got caught a few years ago selling spring water that was really just bottled mains tap water, would you really trust a company like that with your water supply. This is common knowledge, and they were prosecuted for it, feel free to look it up if you don't believe me.

Answer 3

Well, I think that depends on the water company. The water companies erect huge buildings to 1. intake the water, 2. put it though a disinfection and cleansing process and sometimes 3. add extra flavoring like natural essences of fruits, which cost money. Anyone with the big bucks can invest. Coke does it, Pepsi does it...

Ice Mountain comes from the Nestle (chocolate) company. They have one plant located in Mid-West Michigan near my sister. The water up there is from the natural springs and when you go there, there is this HUGE fountain that is sometimes running which spews this spring water. It is put though a process to take out any impurities, but leave the minerals in the water. These processes take a very long time and is expensive to run.

My sister and her husband have a filtration system that uses reverse osmosis and the water is absolutely delicious and I usually take a couple of empty gallons when I go to visit them, just to take it home with me. The water is so pure, it's actually almost sweet.

Water is not a private situation, but those companies who choose to put money into it's purification before selling is due their profit. It costs big money. Maybe, if it makes you feel better about it, why not try taking a tour of one of the plants. (they do have those sometimes) It's very interesting.

Answer 4

The World Bank and the World Trade Organization regularly demand that nations allow private investors to buy what you rightly consider to be common resources as a condition for economic developmental assistance.

Venezuela has just started pushing back....

Answer 5

The "water companies" are usually the municipalites or state governments themselves, at least in the U.S. They aren't private enterprises.

Answer 6

They are charging you for what they do with it. Would you prefer it untreated and to collect it yourself from the nearest natural pond?

Answer 7

thank god the dont charge in ireland they get lots in taxes to cover it

Answer 8

gee, like the gov't would give us a fair price if they controlled it.

btw, power is not nationalized either.

Answer 9

are you going to pay for all the pipes and drains and resevoirs and maintain them....

Answer 10

i've wondered the same thing. the govt is money hungry.