Aguas Nuevo Sur Maule posts US$2.31mn 9mth net loss

Chile's Region VII waterworks company Aguas Nuevo Sur Maule posted a 1.45bn peso (US$2.31mn) net loss in the first nine months, versus a 2.9bn peso net loss in the same period last year, Aguas said in a statement to the country's securities regulator, the SVS. Over the period, a 2.86% increase in revenue to 10.9bn pesos due to the coming online of new wastewater treatment plants helped operating profit rise 1.98% to 3bn pesos. Last month, Aguas opened a US$4.3mn wastewater treatment plant in the city of Parral as part of its US$67mn investment plan for the 2003-2005 period. Next year, the utility plans to begin operations at a US$16mn wastewater treatment plant in regional capital Talca, which will treat 100% of the city's wastewater, and increase regional treatment to 80% from 35%. The UK's Thames Water controls Aguas Nuevo Sur Maule, which serves some 619,000 residents with 99.7% drinking water coverage and 93.7% sewage collection coverage, according to the latest figures from Chile's waterworks regulator, the SISS.