Buyer Analytics

In the past many studies may have put a low or no value on the cost of water. With regional drought and economic growth the cost of water can vary dramatically depending upon where you live.

According to an article from People and Planet, over the past five years, municipal water rates have increased by an average of 27 per cent in the United States, 32 per cent in the United Kingdom, 45 per cent in Australia, 50 per cent in South Africa, and 58 per cent in Canada. In Tunisia, the price of irrigation water increased fourfold over a decade.

Some key factors that determine the price of water:

• Distance to point of consumption. Elevation plays a role especially if water must be pumped.
• Government subsidies - actually causes higher water usage by artificially pricing water.
• Geography - including supply and demand of water

Some interesting cost comparisons from the article:

• A recent survey of 14 countries indicates that average municipal water prices range from 66¢ (34 p)per cubic meter in the United States up to $2.25 (£1.17) in Denmark and Germany.
• The average American household consumes about 480 cubic meters (127,400 gallons) of water during a year.
• Homeowners in Washington, DC, pay about $350 (£182) for that amount.
• Buying that same amount of water from a vendor in the slums of Guatemala City would cost more than $1,700 (£880).

Here is the link for the full article: http://peopleandplanet.net/doc.php?id=2969