Alex Zanotelli. There’s no water to lose.
On 5 August 2008, water was privatized. A natural right has become merchandise, thanks to the PDL and the silent assent of the PDminusL. It was brought into being by article 23 bis of Giulio Tremorti’s legal legal decree number 112. The water in the hands of private companies costs more (in Aprilia it has managed to cost 300% more) and the level of service is the same as before or worse. If you don’t pay the “pizzo” to the company they disconnect the water meter. Water must remain in public hands. The 5 star towns will have to stop the privatisation of water. A town without water does not exist. Watercourses, streams, brooks and rivers have to be under the control of the town authorities. If it doesn’t manage the prime good, the one that is the most essential for the community, the town council is of no use. The town is not a company.
Step by step they are taking air away from us (poisoned by CO2), the sun (covered up by smog), food (poisoned by toxic waste), water (privatized). What kind of perverse logic is this? Who are these mad folk that take away from us the beauty of living? And why do we continue to let them do this?
They will never give up (but is it in their interests?). Neither will we.

The national meeting of the Lists of the 5 star towns will be in Florence at the Saschall Theatre on Sunday 8 March 2009
The Five Stars correspond to five specific areas: Water, Energy, Development, Environment and Transport. Today I am publishing an article about WATER. Use the comments facility to send in your thoughts.

Sign up to the national meeting of the 5 star towns on 8 March.
Programme for 8 March: 9.15 am Registration; 10:00 am Beppe Grillo; Marco Travaglio; Environment/Pallante; Economy/Beppe Scienza; Energy/Boschini; Rubbish and recycling/Incerti; Connectivity/ Anti Digital Divide; Rights of the citizens/Sonia Alfano; Water/Petrella; Presentation of the 5 star towns website; Speeches by the Civic Lists and the Meetups; Conclusion: Beppe Grillo.

WATER
1. Water must remain in public hands
2. Define a daily amount per head that is minimum and free and charge a growing rate on any surplus in relation to the growth in consumption.
3. In buildings that are new or newly restructured: have the obligation to have a double set of pipes, drinking water for use in drinking and preparation of food and non-drinking water for other uses, obligation to use rain water for flushing the toilet.
4. Obligation to recover rain water in collecting tanks
5. Incentives, wherever it is possible, to have a constructed wetland.
6. Restructuring of the water network to reduce leakage , with a tendering process that allows for the transformation of savings on energy costs to pay back the capital investment of the project (as in the model of ESCO)
7. Six-monthly surveys on pollution of water courses throughout the territory of the town with the possibility of denunciation to the relevant authorities.
8. Obligation to make use of water purifiers (in the absence of sewage networks) in residential buildings and in companies with the possibility of a financial contribution from the town authorities.
9. Promotion of the use of the town’s drinking water
10. Promotion of detergents with a low level of pollution
With the collaboration of Maurizio Pallante

PS: Take part in the Forum to discuss issues about water.