Life for Sale

What would happen if the earth's water reserves belonged to private companies? As with oil, there would probably be a market dominated by a few powerful players who dictate the price and make huge profits. As already in Chile, where a primary good has become a luxury item not everyone can afford. As in the Atacama Desert, one of the earth's driest places, where the main river is owned by mining companies that use the water to extract copper, threatening the lives of the Indios and other natives.