The Asamblea Provincial por el Derecho al Agua (APDA) in Argentina

In 1996, the government of Santa Fe Province signed a contract granting the water supply service to Aguas Provinciales de Santa Fe SA, subsidiary of La Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux. Innumerable claims were reported from the beginning of their activity, based on, amongst other complaints: overpricing, the elimination of discounts for pensioners and high toxic levels found in water supplies.

From 2000 to 2001, citizens organized themselves to complain to the authorities about the company’s performance. They met in clubs and in public audiences with municipal councils and were in constant contact with the media.

In June 2002, part of the opposition to the company created the Asamblea Provincial por el Derecho al Agua (Provincial Assembly for the Right to Water) made up of groups of neighbours affected by water supply problems, associations of consumers, ecologists, community assemblies, small and medium businesses, trade unions and professional bodies.

New and old water rights advocates with different points of view, from the poorest of neighbourhoods to rich shopping centres, were united by their economic or environmental concerns. The initial meetings of such groups presented a wide variety of diverging interests and intentions, and conducting the meetings often proved complicated and time-consuming.

The participants were not discouraged by these complexities, however, and the meetings led to the most important popular movement ever recorded in Santa Fe. APDA organised a plebiscite, without state support, held in September 2002, to enable local people to voice their opinions. The motion of the plebiscite was anti-privatisation and pro right to water.

In an attempt to encourage people to vote, public meetings were held, press releases were issued and a festival entitled ‘El Arte por el Agua’ (Art for Water) was held in 15 cities of the region where people could vote. This festival attracted artists, musicians and authors and produced many passionate expressions and declarations of water as a human right.

The result of this campaign was the mobilization of over 700 advocates joined by a vested interest in their right to water. 251,975 votes were registered in 15 cities affected by the private water supply concession and all but 400 were in favour of the motion. The result was a resounding call for the revocation of the contract granted to Aguas Provinciales de Santa Fe SA.

Although Aguas Provinciales remains in Santa Fe and maintains support from the Government, the people of the region continue to pressure the company and the Government to cancel the water supply contract.