WATER ABLAZE - Patagonia Sin Represas

committed, since an asset is no longer required if the effective and
economic fulfilment of duties can be carried out satisfactorily without
it.” 23 This means that the water supply is no longer needed because
it is now being operated by EnBW – circular reasoning of the most
questionable kind.
As a result of its protests in 2003, the Stuttgarter Wasserforum was
at least able to play a decisive role in stopping another CBL deal at the
last minute. Stuttgart City Council had planned to “lease” 27 of its
schools and administrative buildings.
6.6 The Risks Involved in a Complete Sell-out
The main problem involved in the sell-out of a water supply and
distribution network such as the one in Stuttgart, is the same all over
the world: a profit-orientated company, in this case EnBW, is driven to
make ever-increasing profits and will stop at nothing to do so. This can
only be achieved by raising prices, reducing replacement investments
and/or laying off employees.
The fact that capital-rich investors are already lying in wait in
anticipation of high yields – despite all declarations about how private
suppliers are not allowed to “maximise their profits but only to
demand the amount that they actually spend” 24 – is documented by
statements made to the Bild Zeitung on August 16, 2004 by Lothar
Späth, former head of government in Baden-Württemberg: “The
state is up to its eyes in debt. It possesses, however, countless public
utilities and institutions.[...] These must be privatised, that will bring
the money rolling in. [...] For example, the Bodenseewasserversorgung
(BWV) could be privatised [...] and shares could be sold. I personally
would be the first one to buy them.” At that time, Späth was the
German vice-president at Merrill Lynch, one of the world’s largest
investment and consultancy companies.
Having local government monopolies in the public service sector
is a truly wise and far-sighted practice in the best sense of these words.
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