Colombia: Govt to invest US$ 599 million in 5 water plans, launches Agua Transparente programme

Colombia’s deputy water minister, Leyla Rojas, announced that the government will invest US$ 599 million in waterworks in five departments during 2008. With support from the Andean Development Corporation, the government expects all 32 departments to have master water plans, covering water for human consumption, irrigation and industrial activities as well as sewerage and wastewater treatment , by 31 December 2008.

Rojas spoke during a national water forum, during which President Álvaro Uribe launched the Agua Transparente [transparent water] program, which aims to control the funding used in water projects and the implementation of initiatives, as well as supervising tenders related to water projects, in an effort to avoid corruption.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 12 Mar 2008
[Photo: Jose Mauricio Rodriguez Rodriguez]

 

Brazil: Abcon, AquaFed discuss cooperation agreement

Brazil’s national water and sewerage concessionaires association Abcon and the international federation of private water operators AquaFed are discussing a cooperation agreement to improve basic sanitation in the country. The two organizations plan to exchange technical, social and financial information on private company participation in water and sanitation services, and also carry out studies and surveys on basic sanitation around the world. Abcon has 30 associated private companies that are responsible for 5% of the sanitation services in Brazil, serving 7 million people. “We have the capacity to reach 30% in 10 years,” Abcon president Yves Besse said.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 4 Mar 2008

Gerard Payen, president of AquaFed and Yves Besse president of Abcon

Nicaragua: Potable water to cost up to 40% more

Nicaraguan residents who consume more than 20 cubic metres of drinking water a months will have to pay 7-40% more,  said the state-owned water and sewage utility Enacal.  Those who use 21-30 cubic metres per month will pay 7% more, residents of the capital Managua’s will face rises of 25-42%. Industries will pay 30-44% more. Consumer organizations have rejected the increases.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 3 Mar 2008

Latin America: Govts sign multilateral water cooperation agreement

Government representatives from Chile, Spain, Peru and Uruguay signed an international technical cooperation agreement on water resources and the expansion of drinking water and sanitation services. The agreement was signed in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 29 February 2008. Other Latin American countries are expected to join the initiative in the near future. Planned activities for this 4 million euro (US$ 6 million) multilateral initiative include the installation of a non-conventional wastewater treatment system in Uruguayan department Canelones, the training of technicians, and strengthening of local, national and regional water and sanitation institutions.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 29 Feb 2008

Peru: Sedapal loses US$2mn daily due to illegal connections

Peru’s state-owned water utility Sedapal, serving capital Lima and neighboring city Callao, says it loses an estimated 6 million soles (US$ 2.1 million) daily due to illegal water connections. If the company had invested the amount lost through unbilled water, it would have been able to provide potable water to some 250,000 low-income inhabitants. Sedapal started an intensified campaign to find illegal connections on 15 March 2008.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 26 Feb 2008

Honduras: Environ prosecutor’s office investigates Agalteca mining project

Honduras’ environmental prosecutor’s office is investigating allegations from residents in Agalteca against an iron ore extraction quarry run by Italian Five Star Mining in Francisco Morazán department, prosecutor Juan Martínez told BNamericas.

The accusation was filed in early January 2008, through the national environmental and forestry reporters association, cites  excessive water extraction, desiccation of basins, damage to crops and skin diseases, as well as erosion of forests and soil due to the use of explosive devices.

Five Star Mining said that the allegations were false and motivated by personal monetary interest. The accusations were made by four locals affiliated with a peasants’ cooperative, who asked the company to donate US$6,500 for an ethanol production project, according to the company.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 25 Feb 2008 ; Business News Americas, 27 Feb 2008

Brazil: Bahia to receive over US$ 8 million for rainwater cisterns

Brazil’s ministry for social development and hunger relief signed a 15.1mn-real (US$ 8.7 million) contract with Bahia state to build 10,000 cisterns for rainwater harvesting in 2008. Each of the cement cisterns stores 16,000 litres and together they will benefit 60,000 people in 115 cities.

The project started in 2003, and 243,000 tanks have already been built for the northeastern states as well as for Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states. Up to 2007, the ministry had invested 327mn reais in cisterns in the northeastern region. The plan is to invest another 40mn-50mn reais in 2008.

See also: Brazil: Plan to provide water storage in semi-arid areas, Source Weekly, 23 Mar 2005

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 21 Feb 2008

Bolivia: Epsas rates higher than Aisa’s despite nationalisation

Bolivia’s state-owned water utility Epsas, serving La Paz and neighboring city El Alto, has actually increased both connection and service rates after taking over from concessionaire Aguas del Illimani (Aisa), former citizens pressure group Fejuve board member Carlos Rojas told BNamericas.

Fejuve, which once included current President Evo Morales and former water minister Abel Mamani among its active members, was responsible for hastening the concessionaire’s exit from Bolivia, arguing unfairly high rates.

Morales had promised service expansion and rate reductions but the service has actually worsened, and few works have been carried out, BNamericas reports. The government has been seeking international funding to cover the cost of running the company and improving services for the past two years, but has made little progress so far.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 6 Mar 2008

Honduras: Japan grants US$16mn for potable water project

The Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) has given a granted of US$ 15.8 milion for the construction of a drinking water system, which will benefit 1 million residents from poor areas around Tegucigalpa. The works will be carried out by the national water utility Sanaa. The total project cost is US$17.4 million, of which the government will contribute  US$ 1.6 million.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site],  18 Feb 2008

Honduras: Sanaa to resume mass cuts to recover US$5mn in unpaid bills

National water utility Sanaa will resume mass supply cuts in Tegucigalpa in the hope of recovering some 90mn lempiras (US$4.76mn) in unpaid bills. It needs the funds to finance a planned expansion of city’s water supply by 10Mm3.

Source: Business News Americas [subscription site], 6 Feb 2008