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Over one billion people lack access to
clean water and 2.5 billion people don't have adequate sewage and
sanitation services. Consequently, over 2,112,000 people – mostly
children – die annually from diseases such as diarrhea and cholera.
(Public
Citizen)
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By 2020, two-thirds of the world's
population is expected to lack access to clean water if the current
development continues. (Public
Citizen)
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Industrial farming accounts for 65% of
the water consumed by humans. Manufacturing accounts for 25%. (Public
Citizen)
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Massachusetts rivers have seen their
flow seriously reduced by the draining of aquifers. The Ipswich
River is already dangerously depleted, and state officials say that
the Charles, Concord, Assabet, and Sudbury rivers are "stressed."
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According to the Association of State
and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, approximately
$200 billion is needed to adequately repair the water infrastructure
in the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water State
Revolving Fund, the major source of funding for water infrastructure
projects, is currently valued at just $52 billion. (Polaris
Institute)
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In FY 2006, the Bush Administration
plans to cut
the federal government's annual payment to the Clean
Water State Revolving Fund, the major source of
funding for water infrastructure projects, by $369
million, bringing the annual payment down to $730
million. In FY 2002 the federal government put $1.98
billion into the fund.
(http://www.polarisinstitute.org/polaris_project/water_lords/News/feb_8_05.html)
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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection's water quality budget has been cut by 25%
since 2001.
(http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/04590754.)
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The municipal water market in the U.S. is valued at
$90 billion. (Public Citizen)
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There are 45 federal administrative orders or
consent decrees currently in effect requiring
Massachusetts communities to repair their water
systems to meet Clean Water Act standards. 12
Massachusetts communities are facing similar
enforcement actions from state agencies.
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Following water privatization in
Atlanta, GA, United Water cut the workforce from 700 to 300 workers.
This led to massive delays in repairs and maintenance. Nevertheless
the company billed the city for millions of dollars more than the
annual contract fee. (Water
Allies Network)
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In the decade following water
privatization in England and Wales, water rates rose by 102% while
companies delayed making repairs and improvements to the
infrastructure. (Public
Citizen)
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The average annual water bill for a customer in a
Massachusetts community with a publicly owned and
operated water system is $321. The average customer
in a Massachusetts community with a water system run
by Aquarion Water Works pays $557 a year for water. (Rates)
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As of April, 2005, 23 Massachusetts communities had
privatized water delivery systems. 1100 communities
nationwide have privately operated water delivery
systems. (Boston Phoenix)
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Thousand Oaks, CA has the highest water rates in
the U.S. Its water system is run by a subsidiary of
RWE./American Water. (Polaris)
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United Water was fined $95,000 for overdrawing
wells by as much as 131% in two counties in Florida
from 1998-2000. (Polaris)
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A city official in Rockland, MA was charged with
accepting a $300,000 bribe from an executive of the
Veolia company, leading the town to terminate its
water and sewer treatment contract with the city in
February, 2004. (Public Citizen, Waves of Regret.)
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In Lexington, KY in September of 2004 a
city councilor revealed that Kentucky American Water
had offered to run his entire re-election campaign if
he dropped his opposition to their operation of the
city's water system. Kentucky law forbids
corporations from making direct campaign
contributions. The company has made no attempt to
hide its activities, however – the company's official
business plan, filed with the state, says that "we
need to work harder to get people elected to the [City
Council] who have a pro-free-enterprise philosophy."
(Polaris)
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In 1996 the city of Phoenix, AZ and AFSCME
Local 2384, the union representing the city's water workers,
launched an initiative to improve the quality and cut the cost of
the city's water services. They set a five year goal of saving $60
million, and instead saved $77 million. (Water
Allies Network)
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Approximately 25% of the bottled water on the
market is just purified tap water, but bottled water
can cost up to 10,000 times as much as tap water.
(Public Citizen)
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A four year study by the Natural
Resources Defense Council testing 103 brands of bottled water found
that "about one-third of the waters tested contained levels of
contamination – including synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and
arsenic." (Polaris
Institute)
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Today, close to one-fifth of the population relies
exclusively on bottled water for their daily
hydration.
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1.5 million tons of plastic is used to manufacture
water bottles for the global market each year.
