Pros And Cons Of Water Privatization

In an elementary school cafeteria a third-grader sits down at the table and opens their lunchbox. There is an apple, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a bottle of water. As the child looks up they see one of their friends waiting in line at a water fountain. The third-grader opens up their bottled water and takes a sip. The dichotomy between public and privatized drinking sources creates a two-fold problem in the United States: one, the affordability of major companies raising prices and two, the environmental impact of plastic and the availability of freshwater in the near future. For such a necessary part to life, it was not until July 28, 2010 in Resolution 64/292 that the United Nations General Assembly recognized that it is a

The motives for privatization include improving quality and efficiency that typically leads to non-profit water. Although, when United States cities shift towards privatization, more often than not it is due to external fiscal motives that result in water being sold for profit. The campaign, “Water for All,” made a document that listed the Top 10 Reasons to Oppose Water Privatization. The main argument that is congruent and consistent to third-generation human rights is that companies are accountable to shareholders and not to consumers. The consumer, the human, needs the water. Going into a quick economics exploration, no matter the price of the water humans will still always buy the good thus making it a necessity good. However, by definition, water is technically a common good where everyone must draw from the common-pool resource. The key point to the privatization of water is that even though it should be a social good - where the government, according to social policy, provides a service that could be delivered as a private good - water has become a commodity. Yet, the main philosophical debate is whether water should be a commodity. By making water a commodity it puts profit before the humans, thus shirking the basic human right to full access. However, as freshwater becomes less available in the coming years, someone has to pay for the purification of water for consumption. Is it better to be taxed, pay a monthly rent, or leave it up to the US citizen where they get their