Sun Belt Water Inc. is an American water transportation company based in Santa Barbara, California.
Sun Belt Water Inc. was organized as a Californian C-corp in March 1990 for the purpose of responding to the invitation from the British Columbian government to invest in the new and emerging industry to export the BC surplus water by marine transport systems.
In October 1999, the company filed a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Chapter 11 Notice of Claim and Demand for Arbitration with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) against the government of Canada for a dispute regarding access to water from the province of British Columbia. The issue of water exports has a high level of political sensitivity in Canada and public interest groups are adamantly opposed to the issue. In 1999, Sun Belt Water Inc. abandoned its case in Canada's court system and filed an Arbitration claim against Canada under Chapter 11 of the NAFTA claiming access of fresh water from Canada or damages of $995 million.[1]