WASH News Latin America
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
Colombia: EPM to provide water services in other countries
03 Mar 08
Medellín-based multi-utility EPM (Empresas Públicas de Medellín) has been contacted by officials from Central America, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru (Sedapal) interested in having the company provide water services in a number of cities, Sandra Ocampo, director of Medellín’s international investment and cooperation agency told BNamericas.Source: Eva Medalla, BNAmericas [subscription site), 30 Jan 2008 [...]
Peru: water conservation will save Govt US$ 540 million
03 Mar 08
A new water conservation programme will save the Peruvian state 1.6bn soles (US$ 540 million), said housing, construction and sanitation minister, Enrique Cornejo. The programme, administered by the ministry led by Cornejo, water utility Sedapal - serving capital Lima and neighboring city Callao - and Banco de la Nación (BN), is expected to save [...]
Brazil: Saae saves US$4mn by using electronic bidding
03 Mar 08
Brazilian independent water and waste company Saae, serving the city of Sorocaba 95km west of São Paulo, saved 7.4 million reais (US$4.2 million, equal to 27% of expected expenditure) in 2007 by using electronic bidding for the purchase of equipment and services, the company said. Because it reduces bureaucratic procedures, electronic bidding is also faster.Source: [...]
Honduras, Tegucigalpa: Sanaa to launch US$16mn potable water project
03 Mar 08
Honduras’ national water utility Sanaa will launch a 300 million lempira (US$ 15.8 million) potable water project in Tegucigalpa, serving 100,000 people, on 10 March 2008, newspaper La Prensa reported. The project is financed by the European Union with additional funds loaned by local NGO Fundación Agua para Todos (FUNDAPAT) for pipelines.Source: BNAmericas [subscription [...]
Bolivia: Morales anticipates Spanish aid for water projects
03 Mar 08
In May 2008, Bolivian President Evo Morales expects to sign a potable water and irrigation financial cooperation agreement with his Spanish counterpart José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, La Paz state news agency ABI reported. In November 2007, Zapatero announced a US$ 1.5 billion Water Fund for Latin America. According to Morales, Zapatero said most of the [...]
Argentina: the negative effects of nationalizing water services
03 Mar 08
Argentina’s government-controlled water utility Aysa, which serves Buenos Aires, was unable to satisfy demand at the beginning of 2008, due to insufficient service expansion investments. About two years ago, the federal government revoked then-concessionaire Aguas Argentinas’ contract because the company allegedly also failed to carry out promised investments as well as reports of nitrate pollution. [...]
El Salvador: Cesta asks congress to speed up water law approval
03 Mar 08
El Salvadorian environmental NGO Cesta - Friends of the Earth has asked the country’s executive branch and legislative assembly to speed up the approval of the new general water law and potable water law, daily La Prensa reported.The general water law would regulate resource usage in the country, while the potable water law would oversee [...]
Mexico, Toluca: water supply good only for another 5-10 yrs
03 Mar 08
Water supply for Mexico state (Edomex) capital Toluca is guaranteed only for another 5-10 years, daily El Universal reported.The situation is aggravated by the fact that 400 public buildings, all the churches and 25,000 residents do not pay their water bills, with losses from leaks and theft adding up to 400 l/s. Use for some [...]
