California bond allows private companies control of water
Little-noticed water privatization provision sneaks into $11.1 billion water bond up for a vote in 2010.
By Stephanie RogersThu, Dec 31 2009 at 1:17 PM EST
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Photo: mira66/Flickr Private companies could make a profit by selling water back to the public under a little-noticed provision in California’s $11.1 billion water bond. In a state where water is an especially precious resource, this provision may become controversial as it goes before voters in 2010.
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California state Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto, introduced the proposal and says it provides the state with flexibility in financing state water projects.
But as California’s population grows and water becomes scarcer than ever, critics worry that giving control of this resource to private companies is a recipe for disaster.
The bond bill doesn’t specifically mention the possibility that private companies could profit from water storage projects, and few lawmakers, water experts and water privatization opponents even noticed the provision’s inclusion. The bond has already been approved by state legislature.
But according to the San Francisco Chronicle, the bond allows for the creation of joint powers authorities that "may include in their membership governmental and nongovernmental partners that are not located within their respective hydrologic regions in financing the surface storage projects."
Those authorities would "own, govern, manage and operate a surface storage project."
"That's very, very dangerous because that ... opens the door to the privatization of water," said Carolee Krieger, president of the California Water Impact Network, a water consumer advocacy organization.
"If someone is doing this privately they are doing it for their own profit ... and if there is a profit motive there, the price is going to go up for everyone."
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Comments
amanda bynes
05/24/2010 14:29 PM
the water bond is no good, its wacky and selfish cause alot of people don't even have water , oh like the deserts.....think about that terminator....YEA....WOOP WOOP
amanda bynes
05/24/2010 14:29 PM
the water bond is no good, its wacky and selfish cause alot of people don't even have water , oh like the deserts.....think about that terminator....YEA....WOOP WOOP
amanda bynes
05/24/2010 14:29 PM
the water bond is no good, its wacky and selfish cause alot of people don't even have water , oh like the deserts.....think about that terminator....YEA....WOOP WOOP
1265478939585655
05/24/2010 14:26 PM
THE WATER BOND IS GUNNA PUT CALIFORNIA IN MORE DEBT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prose
01/04/2010 08:48 AM
Which is worse, the privatization bill or the fact that media outlets like this one only made the information available after the fact?
Seems like dome reporters and editors are asleep at the wheel and definitely helping industry drive us off the cliff. Nice work Stephanie...not.
Jose
01/04/2010 04:44 AM
Unfortunately we have polluted our waters so heavily by supporting industry waste to the point that this sort of thing is necessary. When tests are showing high levels of every chemical in the book then it's time to filter the water we use daily. Filtered water comes at a great cost financially and to our health. Maybe if we had been more conscientious about pollution to begin with and not been so indiscriminate in our purchases this would not be the case. WE AS A NATION made this happen;.... More
investor 22
01/04/2010 03:40 AM
Rent the documentary: "Blue Gold - World Water Wars" or "Flow" to learn about the sneaky attempts to privatize public water supplies and what happens when these private companies take over the water supply.
Jim Jones
01/03/2010 23:43 PM
Wasn't privatization at the heart of the CA energy crisis just a few years ago? Is there any way to segment the water supply giving the consumers first priority with public rates and commercial entities a private market and supply?
http://jimasks.me/if-you-could-choose-how-you-would-die-what-would-you-c....... More
BiospherePreservation
01/03/2010 21:56 PM
I just had an artesian spring dry up... in Portland, OR... due to a manipulated water table because special interests (a golf course) and other entities manipulating the local acquifer. You let water be privatized... and you'll be paying thru the nose for it... on top of your property taxes... to the tune of the price of a gallon of gas. Get the picture?
Kringle
01/03/2010 20:03 PM
Is this perhaps how big-energy companies who currently lease hydroelectric operations from the Department of Energy, etc. are planning to rape the consumer to try to maintain their declining energy revenues as the grid decentralizes into efficient home-based generation?
