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4 Jun 2020 SANTIAGO

"Theft Is Institutionalised" In Chile's Privatised Water Sector

In an interview, Rodrigo Mundaca, Agronomist and National Spokesperson of the Defence Movement for Access to Water, Land and Environmental Protection (MODATIMA), responds to the interview question: What is the main environmental issue in your context? The main problem is water.

27 Dec 2019 SANTIAGO

"Alternative COP": Santiago Protests Focus On Right To Water

“Water, water, water, is a right, not a business, not a privilege”. Used as a rallying cry during protests, this chant rang out as an underlying current throughout an alternative climate conference held in Santiago, Chile from December 2-11, 2019. Chile is the only country in the world with a privatized water system, and uneven water access has been one of the most critical issues fueling the country’s on-going social uprising.

11 Oct 2019 SANTIAGO

Chile Legislation Will Declare Desal Water A Public Good

A bill seeking to declare water produced from seawater desalination plants a public good has begun to be read in Chile. If passed, the bill, introduced into the Senate in January 2018, would allow the distribution of such water to be subject to the authority of the state, which concerns the private sector companies, particularly in the mining sector, which have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to secure their water sources through investment in desalination plants, particularly in arid northern Chile

9 Jun 2018 SANTIAGO, Chile

Chile: Massive ENAPAC Solar Desal Project Secures Initial Investment

Chile's TRENDS Industrial and Almar Water Solutions of the UAE last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on development of a massive solar powered desalination project for the Atacama region in Chile.Upon completion, the $500 Million USD ENAPAC project will be one of the largest solar desalination projects in the world...

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21 Nov 2016 SANTIAGO

SNC-Lavalin Wins Contract for Chuquicamata Water Treatment Plant in Chile

SNC-Lavalin of Montreal has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract by Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco), one of the largest copper producers in the world, for the replacement of its effluent treatment plant at the Chuquicamata copper smelter, located in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile.

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13 Oct 2016 SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba

Cuba Plans Five Desalination Plants

Cuba is planning to build five desalination plants, according to Ines Maria Chapman, president of Cuba's National Water Resources Institute (INRH).Chapman said a 2,160-cubic-meter-per-day plant would be commissioned by the end of the year in the drought-stricken city of Santiago de Cuba.Late last month, a report issued by INRH warned that ongoing drought was affecting 239 water sources and 816,000 people throughout the nation...

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15 Sep 2016 LONDON

Heavy Price of Santiago's Privatized Water

In Santiago, a recent protest saw at least 2,000 people take to the capital’s streets to demand the repeal of laws that privatised Chile’s water supply. At the heart of the protest and others like it in recent years lies frustration that the privatisation of water has kept prices unnecessarily high, delivered poor service and done little to address concerns over insufficient supply in the future.

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7 Sep 2016 SANTIAGO

Hatch-Indisa: New Partnership in Latin America

Hatch is pleased to announce that Indisa S.A., a leading engineering firm with over 37 years’ experience in Colombia and Mexico, has joined the Hatch Group of Companies. The Hatch-Indisa partnership will support strategic growth in the region and give clients access to fully integrated, globally-connected services and capabilities to help solve complex challenges and improve business outcomes.

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26 Aug 2016 PANAMA CITY, Panama

Power Failure Leaves 70,000 Without Water in Veraguas Province

Some 70,000 people in Panama’s Veraguas province were left without water this week following a power failure that affected the raw water intake and water treatment plant in Santiago and Atalaya.Classes were cancelled on August 23rd due to lack of water in the region.Osvaldo Jimenez, the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems’ (IDAAN) director for Veraguas, said damage to the power line had been repaired, and water supply had resumed in some areas...

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23 Aug 2016 PANAMA CITY, Panama

Panama to Start Construction of New Sewage System in Santiago

Panama’s National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (IDAAN) last week announced the launch of a $95.5 million USD project to build, operate and maintain new wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure in the city of Santiago.It is the agency’s biggest project in Veraguas province.Santiago’s existing sewer system was built back in the 1980s...

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27 Jul 2016 KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

Selangor Government Allocates $98 Million to Deal With Water Problems in Klang Valley

The government of Malaysia’s Selangor state has allocated some $98 million USD to resolve water issues in the Klang Valley by 2019.Selangor Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Mohamed Azmin Ali said the funds would be used to replace 422 kilometers of old water pipes in stages.This project, which will be carried out by state water company Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor), is one of the initiatives the government is implementing to address water supply disruptions due to leaking or broken pipes and to ensure good quality tap water...

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12 Jul 2016 HAVANA, Cuba

Cuba’s INRH Takes Steps to Mitigate Ongoing Drought

The measures Cuba has taken to mitigate the effects of a severe ongoing regional drought -- including rehabilitating water infrastructure and implementing new projects -- have made it possible to recover over 150 million cubic meters of water last year, according to Inés Maria Chapman, president of the country’s National Water Resources Institute (INRH)...

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