[WATERFORALL] Public Citizen's New Report on Veolia/Vivendi

[Guest guest]

Wed, 9 Feb 2005 15:05:42 -0500

" Sara Grusky " <sgrusky

 

 

[WATERFORALL] Public Citizen's New Report on Veolia/Vivendi

 

 

 

 

News from Public Citizen's Water For All Campaign

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Don't Believe the Hype: Privatized Water Is Not in Consumers' Best

Interest

New Report Exposes Water Giant Veolia's History and Track Record

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Water companies are slowly encroaching on

communities around the world, pushing privatization as the solution to

a

deepening global water crisis despite a history of public failures and

scandals, and consumers shouldn't buy their hype, said Public Citizen

today as it released a new report on the largest water company in the

world, Veolia Environnement.

 

The report focuses on the French-owned multinational company, which

operates in 84 countries and had a 2004 net income of $2.58 billion.

Its

U.S. arm is now called Veolia Water North America, formerly known as

USFilter, which operates and manages water and/or wastewater facilities

and systems in 38 states.

 

Public ownership of water systems provides more stability, better

economic development, more reliable service and lower rates than

private

ownership, said the national consumer advocacy organization. The

group

warned that privatization, despite its promise of efficiency and

improved management, often fails to deliver stable rates and good

customer service to the city in which it serves.

 

" Despite repeated public failures in the United States, these water

companies continue to push their unwanted vision on us, " said Wenonah

Hauter, director of Public Citizen's Water for All Campaign. " Veolia

leads this industry, and it's time that the public learned more about

how this corporation operates, particularly its shoddy environmental

record. As Veolia attempts to expand its control of the world's water

resources on every continent, in nations rich and poor, citizens,

communities and countries need to understand Veolia's purpose,

practices

and track record. "

 

In its Fall/Winter 2004 magazine, Veolia published a critical piece

about Public Citizen titled " PPPs vs. PC, " where it defended its

practices and attempted to discredit Public Citizen' Water for All

Campaign. In response, Public Citizen issued a statement.

 

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The report can be found at:

http://www.citizen.org/documents/Vivendi-USFilter.pdf

Veolia's attack on Public Citizen:

http://www.citizen.org/documents/Veolia_PPPvsPC.pdf

Public Citizen's response:

http://www.citizen.org/documents/Veolia%20vs%20Veracity.pdf

 

 

Sara Grusky

Water for All Campaign

Public Citizen

Phone: (202) 454-5133

Website: www.wateractivist.org

 

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listserv with " Waterforall " in the

message.

 

 

 

For more information on the Water For All Campaign please visit

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/