WASH News Latin America
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
Bolivia: Morales threatens to take over water utilities
13 Apr 10
President Evo Morales has said that the state will gradually take control of basic services such as water utilities in Bolivia, according to a report by state news agency ABI.Morales said state control of basic services is necessary to avoid the private sector using them for their own gain, citing the example of Cochabamba utility [...]
Costa Rica: almost 600,000 people drink contaminated water – AyA
13 Apr 10
Some 557,000 people in Costa Rica drink water that is contaminated with fecal material or chemicals, especially hydrocarbons, according to tests carried out by national water utility AyA.The figure represents 13% of the population connected to a potable water system, local paper La Nación reported.AyA’s water laboratory carried out the tests in 2009 to determine [...]
Panama: Idaan to launch water awareness campaign
13 Apr 10
Panama’s national water and sanitation utility (Idaan) will start a water awareness campaign by mid-March, an official from Idaan told BNamericas.“Panama does not have a water-saving culture and people are not aware of the importance of water,” the official said. “Idaan has previously tried to communicate the importance of water through conferences and newsletters, but [...]
Dominican Republic: Inapa to invest US$206mn in 50 potable water, sewerage projects
13 Apr 10
The Dominican Republic’s national water utility Inapa announced it is investing 7.5bn pesos (US$207mn) in 50 potable water and sewerage projects throughout the country, local paper Hoy reported.The projects being carried out include the first phase of the Higüey-Bávaro potable water system, which will benefit the provinces of La Altagracia and La Romana. The utility [...]
Dominican Republic: GTZ donates US$12.9mn to preserve water resources
13 Apr 10
The German cooperation agency (GTZ) has approved a 9.5mn-euro (US$12.9mn) donation for the Dominican Republic to be invested in a water program, paper Hoy reported.The so-called Progeren program aims to protect the country’s water basins to guarantee long-term potable water supply in the Dominican Republic.The resources will be used to carry out the project’s third [...]
Mexico, Mexico City: Conagua puts an end to water rationing
13 Apr 10
Mexican state water utility Conagua has announced that it will gradually restore the water supply in Mexico City and Mexico state (Edomex) to its full volume, following months of water rationing in the area.Conagua reached an agreement with federal district (DF) water utility SACM and Edomex utility Ceam, whereby the full water supply will be [...]
Venezuela: Govt to sanction excessive water use
13 Apr 10
Venezuela’s environment ministry Minamb will implement measures to restrict water consumption in the country starting March 1, 2010.The restrictions will apply to households, commercial offices and factories, but on different scales, a Minamb official told BNamericas.Authorities will implement changes in the tariff structure and suspend services when consumption is excessive, state news agency ABN reported.The [...]
Uruguay: OSE implements measures to increase domestic sewerage connections
13 Apr 10
Uruguayan state-owned water utility OSE is implementing measures to increase domestic sewerage connections in the country, local paper El País reported.Household connections have increased 15% since 2005, but an estimated 160,000 people are still not connected to the utility’s sanitation network, OSE general secretary Daoiz Uriarte said.To help these people connect to the system, OSE [...]
Ecuador: CAF loans US$100mn to expand water, sanitation
13 Apr 10
The Andean Development Corporation (CAF) has approved a US$100mn loan to Ecuador to improve potable water and sanitation services, CAF reported in a release.The funding will partially finance the country’s environmental sanitation for community development program (Promadec), which is run by state bank Banco del Estado (BEDE), in coordination with the urban development and housing [...]
Haiti: Spanish fund earmarks US$ 125mn for water, sanitation
13 Apr 10
The Spanish international cooperation agency for development (AECID) is carrying out water and sanitation projects worth 91.5mn euros (US$125mn) in Haiti following the earthquake that devastated large parts of the country on January 12, 2010.AECID’s water and sanitation cooperation fund (OFCAS) has made an agreement with the Haitian government to ensure a potable water supply [...]
