Felton, CA Reclaims Public Ownership of Water

[marmar]

from Food and Water Watch, via ReclaimDemocracy!:


Felton, CA Reclaims Public Ownership of Water
Corporation cites "considerable political resistance to privatization"

By Wenonah Hauter
First Published June 8, 2008



The people of Felton, California learned that they had successfully wrested control of their water from the clutches of a giant corporation on Friday, May 30, 2008.

Many of the 3,000 adult residents of the Felton Water District had been organizing for nearly six years to buy the community's water system from California American Water. Cal-Am is a subsidiary of American Water, which, despite an ongoing sell-off, remains under the ownership of German multinational energy and water titan RWE.

Surprisingly, less than a week before an eminent domain trial to decide the value of the water system, the announcement came that the San Lorenzo Valley Water District would pay Cal-Am $10.5 million in cash for the system. Of course, Cal-Am went for the deal to settle the eminent domain suit against it and avoid a jury trial, said Jim Mosher, who heads up the legal committee for Felton FLOW -- Friends of Locally Owned Water.

This is a great victory for the citizens of Felton and should inspire other communities to challenge private water utilities that are extorting huge, unjustified rate increases and failing to protect sensitive watershed properties. The SLV Water District has done an excellent job representing us and we look forward to having them manage the Felton water system."

In addition, the agreement states that Cal-Am will donate the 250 acres of forested watershed land in hopes of getting a tax break. Mosher questions whether the land transfer is a donation, however, since it appears to be an integral part of the deal and the price. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://reclaimdemocracy.org/articles/2008/public_ownership_water_fenton.php

[Winterblues]

1. How is this "Public Ownership"?

It is a private group of people that bought and paid for the water rights and they seem worried about their taxes they will have to pay. Remember the Public collects taxes, it doesn't pay them.