Tatiana BrownGomez

Should individuals/corporations control their own water?

Water is a huge part of all of our lives, we use it to bathe, to drink and even to play with. Our
governments handles water pretty well for about seven billion people. If individuals or corporations got a
hold of our water supply it would make some people have more water and others less. Now some people
do have less water, but corporations and people are very selfish and stingy. Most likely a major
corporation would keep a great amount of water. But individuals will be fighting others for amounts of
water a well. Its good that not everyone is in control of water because it would essentially lead into
chaos. Corporations and other individuals should not be allowed to have the right to control their own
water.
Poorer people tend to have to pay more for their water in developing countries. People in
developing countries dont have access to clean water, most live off of $1-$3. These developing countries
may not have the water supplies and sanitation that they need but they definitely dont need control of
their own water. 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water. Now yes we
should help these people but giving them the right to own their own water source is not wise. People will
start fighting over water supply and might even use it for their own advantage. Plus too many people
owning their own water supply would make everyone have very small amounts of water. Instead of trying
to give everybody their own water we should focus on giving the contents the right amount of water not
just one individual or one corporation.
Not every corporation is going to use the water for the people who need it, they will use it for
themselves in a selfish way. Coca Cola had created some issues with farmers in India because Coke had
water from local wells and aquifers the farmers started to dig in search for water. Some dug 450ft deep
and sometimes in dangerous conditions. Violent protests occurred against Coke and led to the closure
Coke in the state of Kerala. Coca Cola made these farmers angry because they wouldnt share the water
supply with people who actually needed it. If corporations are allowed even more power they will use it
for their own purposes and not for the good of the people who need the water. Many corporations will
keep using poor countries like Kerala to sale their product then not help the people in return when needed.
Another example would be a family in Bolivia who lived behind a water plant yet they couldnt afford it,
they did not have connections and this just proves how inequality of people and water access to
corporations would make things worse.
Companies are already starting to buy water and so far it hasnt been for the good of the people.
Wall street banks and multi billionaires are the water barons buying water for their own uses. These

companies are buying acres of land for aquifers, lakes, water utilities etc. Corporations are once again
trying to increase their power and now doing it by owning water. The disappointing thing is that while the
corporations are buying all the water governments restrict our water supply. Yet this is not the
governments fault, many corporations with a lot of money can get by since they can damage others by
taking them to court. Once again if we let companies/corporations take more water supplies then we will
damage our society more.
Privatizing water is hard on the rest of the world because corporations usually privatize water to
benefit and get profit. It causes for the water supplies to be shorter because these corporations are
thinking about only one thing, which is money. They do not see the issue that is at hand, people cannot
get to water and the corporations taking it as their own will only benefit them not anyone else. Nestle is a
very big corporation is the United States and they own water as well. But Nestle doesnt alway operate in
the best way Nestle has extracted water from aquifers, used ridiculous money tactics and damaged
communities. For example in Colorado Nestle spent a lot of money negotiating money with another
corporation for buying land where the Arkansas river is. Many people did not not agree with this; Nestle
soon collects 650 million gallons of water from the river over the years. Nestle is definitely a threat to the
environment and water sources but Nestle isnt the only corporation there are many more doing the same
thing.
In conclusion corporations should definitely not own any more water than they already do.
Individuals shouldnt either because there is a risk they might fight or just turn into the corporations.
Anup Shah. Water and Development. globalissues.org. 6 June 2010. Global issues. 19
April 2016<http://www.globalissue.org>
Jo-Shing Yang. Wall Street Mega-Banks Are Buying Up The Worlds
Water. popularresistance.org. 26 May 2014. Popular Resistance. 19 April 2016.
<http://www.popularresistance.org>
Water Usage & Privatization. Food Empowerment Project 3 March 2013.
<http://www.foodispower.org>