Water & Waste: The week in 10 stories

ARGENTINA

President Mauricio Macri opened the first finished stage of a US$56mn pressurized irrigation system in a tobacco producing area in northern Salta province.

BRAZIL

Most municipalities in the country do not have a sanitation plan, suggesting inadequate levels of investment in the health sector.

Legislators of Rio de Janeiro state have vetoed the privatization of state water utility Cedae.

The head of São Paulo state water utility Sabesp criticized the federal government measure of changing regulatory frameworks in sanitation contracts.

COLOMBIA

Bogotá's water utility EAAB opened five bids for a 368bn-peso (US$125mn) contract to build a pumping station that will serve the upcoming Canoas wastewater treatment plant.

HAITI

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$33.5mn grant to finance a comprehensive solid waste management program in Haiti.

HONDURAS

A landfill was opened in Gracias municipality in Lempira department.

MEXICO

The municipality of Nezahualcóyotl, in Mexico state, will invest over 850mn pesos (US$45mn) to replace water supply pipelines.

The contractor for a waste-to-energy initiative at Mexico City's Bordo Poniente landfill said the project was never launched and the site now lacks potential to generate biogas.

Meanwhile, Mexico City's public works ministry defended the project's feasibility saying that the site still has biogas potential.