On the Rise: The Price of Water

-- a note from _kt75 (updated: 2012-11-12)

The most essential good, water, comes under economic pressure. A number of reports document sharply rising prices for water among others in
            • the USA, e.g. [1]-[4],
            • Europe, e.g. [5]-[7] and
            • Asia/Australia, e.g. [8]-[10]
etc. Accordingly, for the USA an increase between 5-15% is prognosticated. Israel, with a reported increase in water consumption by 6% in 2011 [11] is about to raise water rates by about 4% in 2013 [12]. In Europe the price per m3 of water will raise up to 5% [5], [7], [13].
The reasons for the increasing water prices are diverse. Some are of technical nature (outdated infrastructure, installation of new equipment), some are of social nature (pension costs for water workers). However, the price of water is increasingly liable to some artificial manipulation, i.e. speculation [1], [2]. It seems to be rather questionable and actually critical (in particular from a social point of view) to make water an economic good under today's conditions. The free access to fresh water must remain incontrovertible human right.

Further readings: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13]
Further kt75 | publications: [14]  

 Coming soon: Need for Speed? An independent Controversy on Sustainable Mobility. a kt75 | reflection

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