Water is a basic right for humans and the environment and should not be polluted, traded for profit or removed from its natural environmental cycle.
Notes
General references include the Australian Water Network (non-profit), WaterWise Executive Summary, Australian Water Association (industry group).
Is water a public trust? The World Water Council believes “The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses”. However even in the USA drinking water is becoming toxic in some areas and the laws are inadequate to remedy it.
A free market in water serves to move water out from its natural domain. It is becoming prevalent in Australia but has a disastrous history, e.g. in Chile. See also Water markets and the law.
In the US, agricultural runoff is the single largest source of water pollution. For example one cow produces as much waste as 18 people.
