Water
AFSCME members in water districts throughout California provide their communities with reliable supplies of high-quality water. Members work to meet present and future needs in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
A new drive to make private water companies eligible for state tax dollars is raising alarms. Will California's water market go down the same disastrous path as California's energy market? Over the last several years, the number of private water utilities regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission has decreased from 500 to approximately 200 as a result of takeovers and acquisitions by the largest private water companies. Creating new financial benefits for these same companies would only increase the privatization of the California water market, with serious consequences for us all.
California's communities have the most at risk. Many private water companies are owned by large corporations headquartered elsewhere. Decisions about community water supplies are made by board members who reside in a different state, or even a different country. There is no long-term commitment to the community-and little accountability.