GNN:--Argentina Water Privatization Scheme Runs Dry

[Aidoneus]

Argentina Water Privatization Scheme Runs Dry
Sebastian Hacher, March 17, 2004

Rio de la Plata ("the Silver River") separates Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, from Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. For 500 years, it has also been called "la Mar Dulce" as visitors, confused by its beauty and size, mistook it for a freshwater sea. Today, though, the river has another distinction: it is one of the few rivers of the world whose pollution can be seen from space.

"Living by the river is a curse", says Alejandra, a mother of three with sad eyes. "I am a single mother, with no work, and I don't know what to do with my children." Alejandra lives in a very poor neighborhood known as "Villa Inflamable."

The district has been given this name for a chilling reason: surrounded by chemical and petroleum industries, the zone's combustibility is considered a time bomb. Villa Inflamable is in the heart of the South Dock Petrochemical area, where, as of 1997, some 3000 companies continuously dump their sewage into Riachuelo, "the little river."

Adding to this intense pollution is the sewage waste of five million customers of the privatized water company Aguas Argentinas, which is dumped directly into the river each day without treatment. Three kilometers upstream Aguas Argentinas treats the very same water for use by the same population.

--snip--

http://www.guerrillanews.com/sci-tech/doc4105.html

[rumguy]

1. water privatization

those are two very frightening words...

[Deja Q]

2. Add a third word if you want to lose some sleep tonight:

unregulated water privatization.

:scared:

[Aidoneus]

3. It gets worse..

when you add:--coming to a neighborhood near you.