But he and others also see opportunities, especially where governments have begun to price water properly.
Because of the failure to price water properly, factory owners and peasants alike use too much of it.
To convince nine nearby water districts to sign 30-year contracts to take Poseidon's water, Maloni had to promise to never charge them more than the going price of imported water.
Even in arid market economies where every drop is precious, the price of water seldom reflects scarcity.
Right now, at our current low levels of carbon dioxide, plants are paying a heavy price in water usage.
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But Mr Ma believes most people could afford water at a realistic price, and they would use it more efficiently.
He has a simple solution: Water must have a price, as that is the only way people, and industry, will use it prudently.
In the aftermath of a disaster like Hurricane Sandy, people want a lot more gasoline, flashlights, bread, and water at any given price.
Judging how much credit-card firms ought to charge for their services is trickier even than setting the right price for water or energy supplies.
Across Europe the price of water has gone up along with higher European standards for the purity of drinking water and for the treatment of waste.
The Consumer Council for Water South West (CCWater South West) said the rebate was good for customer relations, but consumers were still paying a "disproportionate" price for water services.
BBC: Water customers have not been given a rebate since 1998
In our world of make-believe, lets pretend a company is going to start a fund that you, as an investor can buy like a stock, to track the price of water over time.
For starters, consider the fact that the degree of market failure varies from region to region: the difference between the price of water and its true marginal cost must be higher in dry places than wet ones.
Now it has offered 37% over the market price for American Water Works' shares.
Each of France's 36, 500 communes is responsible for the supply and, crucially, the price of its water.
Small price rises for water have led to more rational planting, and to techniques like drip irrigation.
The consumer surplus of my getting clean water for less than that price is the difference between the two prices.
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In Cumbria, blind world water-ski champion Gerald Price was presenting the same report to the Lake District National Park Authority in Kendal.
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Recently, Ms Banerjee has opposed Congress on a number of key issues, including petrol price rises, water sharing treaties, retail reform and the anti-corruption Lokpal bill.
The most heated arguments concern the price of the water Singapore buys from Malaysia and sovereignty over a small rock in the Singapore strait, known as Pedra Blanca or Pulau Batu Putih, depending on your point of view.
Food and water is usually included in the price, but you have to buy your booze on the boat.
The Scots, it turns out, are paying a high price for keeping their water in public hands.
Economists would generally argue that price is the right way (although with caveats, pure price allocation of drinking water in a drought might raise hackles) to do that rationing.
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An alternative would be to meter all water users, and to vary the price according to availability.
ECONOMIST: Banning hosepipe use is a poor solution to a water shortage
In 2010, Marubeni acquired Chilean water firm Aguas Nuevas for an undisclosed price, while a consortium led by Mitsubishi Corp.
Mr Powell works for EC Harris, one of the main firms of quantity surveyors who advise water companies on costs and estimates for price fixing negotiations.
Dickerson does not believe either private equity investors or any other water utility companies would be interested in American Water Works because of the potential high price.
Mighty IBM (nyse: IBM - news - people ) is attempting to price IT services the way water and electricity are--pay for what you use.
As a result, Caleta's 350 villagers have had to rely on truckloads of water from elsewhere to keep them going water that comes at too high a price for most of the farmers who are trying to eke out a living from the place.
But the hose ban aims to reduce the quantity of water consumed while maintaining a cap on the price.
ECONOMIST: Banning hosepipe use is a poor solution to a water shortage
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