If we state in law that water is a public resource, will residential consumers get priority over commercial and agricultural sectors in their water needs?
No. See above. All types of water uses whether for residential, industrial, or agricultural purposes will benefit from a comprehensive state water plan developed by the people in each river basin. If water is treated as a private commodity, however, only those users able to pay the highest price for water will get their desired share of a limited water resource and in most cases the small farmers and communities in the state will not be able to compete with larger agribusiness and industry interests. Therefore, it is possible that growing municipalities that need more water to support this growth will have to buy it, passing this extra cost onto consumers.
Related Questions
- If we state in law that water is a public resource, then wont that mean that it will be disproportionately allocated to the areas with the highest populations---especially metro Atlanta?
- If we state in law that water is a public resource, will residential consumers get priority over commercial and agricultural sectors in their water needs?
- Are residential and commercial water wells installation permits required?
