Activists in Pennsylvania Thwart Three Privatization Attempts | CommonDreams.org: "Last week, the Mt. Jewett Borough Water Authority Board in Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania announced it would deny requests from two separate private companies, American Water and Aqua America, to purchase its water system. Food & Water Watch applauds the decision of the Mt. Jewett Borough Water Authority Board to ensure both the integrity of this vital natural resource and its delivery by keeping the Mt. Jewett water system in public control.
'Both American Water and Aqua America have track records for exorbitantly high rates and shoddy service delivery. In fact, communities across the country have responded to the sky rocketing bills and poor water quality inflicted by both companies by buying back their water systems and placing them in public hands."
----------
Thus spake Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch Executive Director.
1 comment:
Aqua America has purchased several subdivision "central water systems" in central Texas. Over 150,000 Texans saw their monthly "basic fee" rise to nearly $100/month. The basic fee is the fee paid without delivery of a single drop of water. You pay for water on top of that. This scheme was justified as a plan for "regionalization" - meaning that higher rates for all "communities" was justified under the theory that the company would be updating various systems at different times. Only catch is that no single subdivision has any idea whether the money is actually being used to improve systems in any other subdivision. Nor can any resident of any subdivision have any idea when infrastructure they are tied to will be updated.
This legislator's website is provided as a historical record of what Aqua Texas did. Interesting to hear that similar things are happening elsewhere.
http://www.patrickrose.com/issues/aqua-texas/
Post a Comment