Water & Waste: The week in 10 stories.

BRAZIL

Sanitation company Aegea Saneamento e Participações authorized bond issues by two of its units, totaling 500mn reais (US$160mn).

Paraná state water utility Sanepar started work to expand water supply for the city of Jandaia do Sul by installing 1.4 km in pipeline that will connect the central reservoir to the neighborhoods Vila Rica, Jardim Vista Alegre, Santa Helena, and surrounding areas.

CHILE

The 10.6mn UF (US$454mn) tender to build a water reservoir in Catemu, a municipality in Valparaiso region, will be launched in October. The contract is expected to be awarded between January and February.

A consortium composed of Chilean firm Claro Vicuña Valenzuela (CVV) and Spanish company GH Inima Environment reportedly scored the highest of the five technical bids that were presented to build a US$250mn desalinization plant for Chile's northern Atacama region.

COLOMBIA

Environment minister Luis Murillo has called on the national congress to pass a bill that would turn the government's recently unveiled climate change policy into law. The official also requested the constitutional court finish reviewing the Paris climate accords.

MEXICO

Water authority Conagua opened 17 technical and economic bids to enclose a 3.5km section of the Rio de los Remedios drainage channel, in the Mexico City metropolitan area. This contract is being retendered, after the original award was terminated earlier this year.

The 2018 budget proposal submitted to congress for approval by finance ministry SHCP earmarks 11.7bn pesos (US$663mn) for 17 environment-related projects, including waterworks managed by water authority Conagua.

Thirteen local companies are supporting Mexico City metro operator STC in its efforts to control floods in the metro system during the current rainy season and they are doing so free of charge. The firms are contributing with machinery, equipment and personnel to attend flood prone areas.

PERU

The national government is seeking private operators for bankrupt municipal water utilities, under president Kuczynski's plan to extend potable water and sewerage services to 100% of the population by 2021.

URUGUAY

State-owned water utility OSE issued a series of bonds worth US$32mn as part of an effort to invest US$100mn yearly in water projects through a trust fund. The bonds were issued with an interest rate of 3.95%, and a maturity of 22 years.