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Gabby Bachtel
Mrs. Barnes
English 112
26 March 2015
Is Love Really All You Need?
What can you not live without? When approached with this question, many go on to reply
that they would not be complete without their friends and family, or could not imagine existing
without the presence of technology. While life would certainly be different without these
momentous factors, one cannot fail to bring attention to the cynosure in which virtually all life is
based around: water. With impeccable conception, a wise being once voiced, Thousands have
lived without love, not one without water (W.H. Auden). Although this example proves to be a
controversial piece concerning the innumerable amount of equally important and troubling
complications in the world, its content cannot be disputed. Currently, one third of the world
resides in either water-short or water-scarce areas, thousands of people not able to provide
themselves or their family with the necessary quantities of water needed for survival (Water and
Development). Many businesses and corporations have transformed the prevalence of water
scarcity into production opportunities. In turn, this not only increases revenue and field
expansion, but also isolates the distribution and availability of water even further. Additionally,
more products and services have been and will continue to be offered through the maintenance of
large portions of countries water supplies by certain enterprises. However, for the thousands of
people spanning the globe that use water for solely necessary purposes, the looming problem of
water obtainment continues to grow as companies increasingly take over more of these resources
for luxury projects. Overall, the world has been faced with many widespread issues, one of them

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now being the threat of privatized water supplies. Through solicitous actions, contributory
efforts, and communication, people around the world have the ability to create a propitious plan
in which nearly all parties will benefit in some way.
As the worlds population incessantly swells, the demand for potable water does as well.
In many ways, it seems that acquiring uncontaminated water should be easier and much more
attainable than it actually is, considering the United Nations fairly recent decision to declare
access to clean drinking water a universal human right (Privatization of Water). Although this
entitlement may be formally proclaimed, untold sums of people struggle every day to realize this
freedom. This harsh reality comes into play as statistics are released, showing that, 2.6 billion
people lack basic sanitation (Water and Development). While millions of people pass away
yearly due to water-related or sanitary issues, large companies are trying to restrict water access
even further by isolating water supplies for their own commercial use or distribution. By doing
so, individuals would have to pay for water services, the corporations in turn receiving profit
through this process. Despite the fact that this proposed system could result in increased
productivity, reliability, and quality, many fail to remember that the majority of those who cannot
retrieve clean water are the underprivileged. Thus, they would not be able to afford these services
offered by the businesses. The widespread push for water privatization has already taken place in
areas such as Australia, Canada, Morocco, Argentina, Britain, New Zealand, and South Africa
(Water Is Life). At the rate that organizations are currently attempting to expand water
privatization, the possibility of privatization of all aspects of water is also emerging. However, it
seems that only time can tell what the future holds for the stores of water on Earth, including
whether they are to be claimed or distributed freely among the ever-demanding people.

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Even though there may be a variety of methods one can exercise to obtain safe water,
they are not often attainable with ease. In fact, the majority involves high rates that many cannot
afford. So far, water privatization has only proved to add to this accumulating issue of poverty,
sanitation, and clean water. For, there are a vast range of issues in the world that can be
temporarily pushed aside, but water is not one of them. The people of the world cannot survive
without it, and many are finding this out through unfavorable paths. Necessities should not be
taken for granted nor taken advantage of, because too many can be impacted for the worse. Love
may be all you need, but it seems that there is some fairly tough love in recent events when it
comes to potable water supply.

Works Cited
"Privatization of Water as an Owned Commodity Rather Than a Universal Human Right."
Global Research. n.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

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"Water and Development." - Global Issues. n.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Water Is Life - Water Privatization Conflicts." Water Is Life - Water Privatization Conflicts.
n.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Water Privatization: Lets Cut the Hysteria." Blog National Geographic. n.p, n.d. 1 Nov. 2012.
Web. 23 Mar. 2015.