Citing nitrate contamination of drinking water, Argentina has rescinded the contract under which French- and Spanish-owned Aguas Argentinas provided water and sewer service for Buenos Aires and 17 nearby municipalities. Government officials said last month that tests done in Lomas de Zamora, a city of 600,000 just south of the federal capital, detected nitrate concentrations up to 40% higher than permitted in household drinking water and 220% higher than allowed in well water. Authorities charge the findings reflect nitrate problems elsewhere in the service area, though they say the contamination in Lomas de Zamora is the most serious. They say Aguas Argentinas, in which Suez of France and Spain’s Aguas de Barcelona hold stakes of 40% and 25%, respectively, has in recent years failed... [Log in to read more]