There's a problem with the world's water supply. One person in four doesn't have access to clean drinking water. Many governments lack either the resources or the will to provide this essential commodity to their citizens.

In recent years, a number of powerful companies have spotted this crisis and seen a business opportunity. From the deserts of California to the streets of Soweto, and in several thousand other cities and towns throughout the world, often with the involvement of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, these corporations have attempted to privatize what many consider a public trust.

Dead in the Water investigates the results of these efforts at privatization in several key locations, and chronicles what many see as the first in a wave of battles in the years to come.