Bechtel Subsidiary InterAgua Fined $1.5 for Noncompliance

A campaign by UUSC program partner El Movimiento Mi Cometa and the Observatorio Ciudadano de Servicios Publicos to hold Bechtel subsidiary InterAgua accountable in Guayaquil, Ecuador, may pay off as the water and sanitation concessionaire was fined $1.5 million for not complying with its contract. InterAgua failed to make 8,000 new connections in time to meet its contractual targets for water services.

In InterAgua's service area in June 2005, 158 children contracted Hepatitis A from water services to several schools. UUSC led a fact-finding delegation in May 2007 to Guayaquil, and brought major press attention to the case and to InterAgua's practice of dumping untreated sewage and industrial waste in the Guayas River and estuary. According to research, InterAgua charges some of the highest rates in Latin America for its sewerage services -- 80 percent of the household water bill, whether there is sewerage service or not.

Cesar Cardenas, founder of Mi Cometa, is running in the constituent assembly this fall on a platform of constitutional reform that seeks to enshrine the human right to water and make privitization of public services like water and sanitation unconstitutional.

Mi Cometa and Observatorio Ciudadano expect positive results in its claims against InterAgua for the dumping, and they will be monitoring to be sure InterAgua pays its fines. Mi Cometa and the Observatorio Ciudadano are citizen's movements. The Observatorio Ciudadano is a "neighborhood watch" coalition where citizens like you and me work to ensure the private and public institutions fulfill their mandate. Mi Cometa and the Observatorio Cuidadano are an inspiration!