Privatization of water supplies began in England in 1989 under Margaret Thatcher. In the ten years that followed, nearly 10 Euro billion went in p... rofits to the new water companies. Today, two giant corporations, Veolia and Suez,control 80%of the international private water market. They have some 300 milllion customers. Protests have broken out in developing country after country-Bolivia, Argentina,Ghana,South Africa. The water giants are switching to new markets in China, North America and...

Privatization of water supplies began in England in 1989 under Margaret Thatcher. In the ten years that followed, nearly 10 Euro billion went in p... rofits to the new water companies. Today, two giant corporations, Veolia and Suez,control 80%of the international private water market. They have some 300 milllion customers. Protests have broken out in developing country after country-Bolivia, Argentina,Ghana,South Africa. The water giants are switching to new markets in China, North America and Europe. Meanwhile well over a billion people still lack access to clean water supplies. The Water Business tells the graphic story behind these facts and figures. The author travelled to latin America, Africa and Europe, to interview the poor, the experts, the corporate executives, and to bring back a story much more complicated than simply public versus private provision, or innovative mixes of the two. The ultimate question is this:should decisions about the provision of and access to water be taken by citizens in democratic societies, or by commercial corporations? Is water a human right or just another tradeable commodity?