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Spring 2004 - V.19 N.1 Table of Content	Water the Oil of the 21st Century from Florida Today
News Around the Lagoon Costly New Septic Tanks Keep Nitrogen out of Water Water Management District Uses Grove Land to Store Excess Water Environmentalists Urge Action on Ship Ballast Water Supreme Court Rules EPA can Overrule State in Clean Air Case Halting Toxic Cleanups Water the Oil of the 21st Century New Gates Reduce Silt from Canals in Indian River County Key West Asks Cruise Ships to Stop Dumping Endangered Species Act may be in Danger Manatee Deaths Drop Here, but Rise on West Coast Conservation Groups Sue for EPA to Regulate Water Pollution in Florida New Tag Aims to Help Protect Coral Reefs Politics Trump Science Chemical Industry Seeks Approval of Pesticides at Expense of Wildlife	The World Bank predicts that by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population will not have enough drinking water. With scarcity making water an increasingly valuable commodity, private companies are tempted to corner water supplies and delivery. Even in the United States, long a bastion of publicly owned water systems, water is increasingly viewed as something to be bought and sold. Private companies have started taking over municipal and suburban water systems, which gives them monopoly control over water rates. Water "privatization," and, most notably, the dramatic entry of the three largest water companies in the world to the U.S. consumers still receiving their water from public systems. The Big Three water companies, all based in Europe, see this as a tremendous opportunity for growth. RWE/Thames, Vivendi, and Suez have made an aggressive entry into this country with the purchase of American Water Works, U.S. Filter, and United Water. There are inherent risks in reaping profits from the delivery of a life-giving resource. The huge size of the companies now moving into the U.S. market only exacerbates the disconnect between water provider and water consumer. Governments or public water districts are typically involved in the delivery of water because we literally can't live without water. Letting it fall under the control of companies based in Germany or France may be a boon to their shareholders, but not to those who depend on their water. Next Article: New Gates Reduce Silt from Canals in Indian River County

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