Since it secured the contract for the Buenos Aires concession in 1993, Aguas Argentinas (Ondeo Services formerly Suez-Lyonnaise des Eaux) has implemented several innovative solutions in the underprivileged districts of the megalopolis, the population of which exceeds 11.5 million. A population of more than three million in these districts has a monthly income per household of less than US$500 per month. More than 300,000 live in the villas miserias, otherwise known as spontaneous and illegal settlement areas. At the beginning of the concession, an estimated 500,000 were connected fraudulently to the network with low-quality networks.
The underprivileged districts account for a potential 15 per cent of Aguas Argentinas customers. In 1993, 30 per cent of the population in Buenos Aires was not served with drinking water and 42 per cent had no sanitation facilities. Since then, Aguas Argentinas has expanded the delivery of water services to a population of more than 1.5 million and sanitation to 800,000 inhabitants.
In order to implement original financial and institutional solutions, NGOs were originally solicited to facilitate dialogue between Aguas Argentinas, public institutions and the communities. From 1997-1999, more than 200,000 low-income inhabitants were connected to the drinking water network.
The objectives of the project are to find and implement sustainable solutions to supply drinking water and sanitation services to low-income areas of Buenos Aires through the following: