Bolivia: Bolivia's Water Warriors, Reignited

Nov 16, 2016 | Nasya Razavi
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“They’re charging for air,” laments a Cochabamba resident. It is July 2016, and a serious drought has affected Cochabamba and its surrounding municipalities. After the levels of the reservoirs and subterranean waters dropped by 30%, Semapa, the municipal water company, has begun rationing water. To add insult to injury, residents are being overcharged due to antiquated meters that erroneously register airflow. Other residents contest Semapa’s “solidarity” tariff structure, which applies a flat rate for sewage and water services whether or not municipal water is received at all. Sixteen years after the Water War in Bolivia, tariff issues and unequal access continue to plague Cochabamba’s water sector.