Suplicy signs SP city waterworks policy law

Sao Paulo city mayor Marta Suplicy signed a law Tuesday that creates a municipal waterworks policy, aimed at formalizing a contract with Sao Paulo state water utility Sabesp, the city government reported. The law also calls for the creation of a municipal water supply and sewerage public services regulatory, enforcement and control entity, as well as a participatory council. According to city authorities, Sabesp has defined its priorities and actions for the city without consulting the municipality or residents. A Sabesp source told BNamericas that the city council must still approve the law's implementation, and only when the municipality decides to implement it will the utility move forward with legal action, which according to the source, could keep the issue in courts for years. The source highlighted Sabesp's massive investment in the area. Of the 9.6bn reais (US$3.28bn) spent by the utility between 1995 and 2002, more than 5.9bn reais went to the metropolitan region, of which close to 5.2bn reais went to the state capital. In the city of Sao Paulo itself, Sabesp provides 100% drinking water (17,370km network, 2.29 million connections) and 92% sewage collection (13,803km network, 1.86 million connections, and treats 67% of the sewage collected. Local water reserves serve only 15% of the city's water needs.