The validity and efficiency of the atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) technology is yet to be known. However, the future business model for fresh water harvesting is intriguing. Privatization of water is and has been the ongoing multi-billion dollar investment for many corporations. The global annual revenue for medicinal products is about $800 billion. Currently, the annual revenue on bottled-water is at $360 billion and will reach $1 trillion in revenue by 2020 (Bank of America, 2012). Many land around largest aquifer in the world is privately owned, For instance, about 100 thousand acres of land in Paraguay sitting near the largest aquifer in the world, is privately owned. An oil tycoon, T. Boone Pickens, owns massive land over the largest aquifer (Ogallala aquifer) in the United States. The great lake has been drastically diminished by water drilling process. In Texas, US, it is illegal to drill water directly from the lake or river, but anyone can legally get to the water source by drilling from their property. Access to fresh water is power. Unfortunately, as corporation dig-in into this profitable and essential element of life, the tension can lead to global conflict more than ever the world has never seen with oil conflict. Perhaps, oil and water do mix.

Veolia and Suez are two powerful French corporations that started privatizing water. Water corporations are expanding away from the local regions into other regions by acquiring the water system or land close to the lakes or rivers. We may be living in the generation of water cartel. Unfortunately, many people do not realize that water is more expensive than oil per gallon. Perhaps, water is the new oil.

Lack of access to safe water and sanitation crisis causes more mortality through disease than any war through guns. An individual taking a five minutes shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day. Interestingly, there is more access to mobile phones than toilets and proper daily sanitations.

Moreover, the issue of water scarcity and safety in a developing country is very simple but a complex issue. The relationships between regional government and water management programs are not very clear. For instance, Nigeria as a country in the continent of Africa may have different water situation than any other country in Africa. However, when dealing with a country such as Nigeria with natural resources and infrastructures to maintain water supply to every family, and yet not able to achieve such public amenity to every household, it becomes a complex dilemma. Europe is the largest oil importer from Nigerian. In 2012, Europe imported 889,000 bbl/d (44%) of total crude oil exported from Nigeria (Energy information administration, 2013). For the past decades, the United States imported 9% to 11% of Nigerian crude oil, although the importation were decreased to average of 5% in 2012 and 4% in 2013, but that is still a lot of money for the country (Energy information administration, 2013). Nigeria is the fifth largest foreign oil supplier to the United States in 2011 and now the eighth (Energy information administration, 2013). Water should not be a problem in the country if the government cared much about its citizens.

Water is also a problem in developed countries, perhaps, not in terms of purity or scarcity but in terms of designing a business model on water supply. Studies indicated that two-thirds of bottled water sold in the US are $1 for 16.9 ounce bottles (Inquisitr, 2013). On average, consumers are paying $7.57 per gallon, this is about 2,000 times more expensive than tap water (Inquisitr, 2013). This is the case even when there is no difference in quality between bottled water and tap water in the US, although scientists has shown that bottled water is toxic (Buckley & Robson, 2013). In 2011, the average price of a gallon of gasoline across US is around $3.10 per gallon (Inquisitr, 2013). Americans are paying twice for bottled water than gasoline on average, accounting for $11.8 billion spent on bottled water (Inquisitr, 2013). In this current economic difficulty, bottled water business is growing at the rate of 6.5% over the past years despite the fact that scientist and epidemiologists have established the link between phthalates compounds from plastics bottles to cancer (Inquisitr, 2013). Phthalates are used in plastics polymers, it makes plastics pliable. Phthalates cause many health issues including disruption of the endocrine system by increasing puberty and feminizing males (Buckley and Robson, 2013). Privatization of water and bottled water are incredible business models, perhaps for the businesses involved, but to human life it is pure exploitation. If air, another essential element of life is not already for sale, when will the public expect to begin paying for quality air? Environmental health practice is the key in solving many of these health issues. However, water quality and awareness of contaminants are increasingly complex as the world’s population grow towards the 9-10 billion mark.

Reference

Bank of America. (2020). Water services industry to double revenues by 2020 in efforts to tackle scarcity, says new B of A Merrill Lynch global research report.  Retrieved from http: //newsroom.bankofamerica.com/press-release/economic-and-industry-outlooks/water-services-industry-double-revenues-2020-efforts-ta

Bravo enterpreise LTD. (2014).  Best investment ideas stock 2014 – Water inventions – How to find a great investment.  Retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScrcGmB96-E

Buckley, B., & Robson, M. (2013).  Water quality [Walden video file].  Retrieved from https://my.waldenu.edu/portal/Learning/Default.aspx

Inquisitr. (2013). Bottled water 2,000 times costlier than tap, twice gasoline prices. Retrieved from http://www.inquisitr.com/