Southern Cone infra and water watch

Uruguay’s state water utility OSE accepted a proposal from local firm Taficor to upgrade potable water plants and lower arsenic levels.

The US$10mn project will now pass to the feasibility studies phase and entails building, installing and maintenance of 190 new remote potable water production units during 15 years. 

It also demands US$900,000 per year for maintenance, daily El Observador reported, quoting a yet-to-be published OSE resolution.

Last year, broadcaster Tele Doce reported that 163 municipalities receive water with high arsenic levels.  

Argentina

Rail projects will receive 72bn pesos (US$478mn) in external financing next year, including funds from multilaterals and Chinese companies.

The multilaterals involved are the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB, 11bn pesos), the Latin American Development Bank (CAF, 15bn pesos) the Plata River Basin Development Bank (FONPLATA, 5bn pesos shared with CAF), the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IRBD, 15bn pesos) and the China Development Bank (CDB, 7bn pesos), transport minister Alexis Guerrera told a lower house committee analyzing the 2023 budget bill.

Meanwhile, China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) will finance 23bn pesos for the improvements of the Belgrano Cargas line, while 1bn pesos will come from China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and will be used to rehabilitate the San Martín freight line.

Chile

Valparaíso region water utility Esval is facing up to 900mn pesos (US$960,000) in fines following a wastewater spill at the Marga Marga estuary near Viña del Mar, which prompted a probe from water services regulator SISS.

A wastewater pipeline between Quilpué and Villa Alemana municipalities broke Sunday night, SISS said in a press release.

SISS said Esval was fined 450mn pesos over a similar incident in December 2020 that affected the same area, although the utility appealed the sanction so it has yet to be confirmed. 

Esval was still pumping wastewater from the estuary on Tuesday afternoon, although the pipeline has been repaired, the firm said on social media.