Global municipal water infrastructure developments

Municipalities and water utilities across Argentina, Spain, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico are implementing infrastructure upgrades and management adjustments to enhance water security and service capacity.

In Argentina, San Francisco is modernizing its potable-water pumping system with new submersible pumps, stainless-steel pipelines, and a SCADA control centre. To manage rising costs, the municipality is implementing a gradual increase in service fees to mitigate the impact of rate hikes authorized by the Public Services Regulatory Entity (Ersep). The local administration has been absorbing a portion of these costs through monthly staggered adjustments. The city is also working to introduce smart meters to align tariffs with actual consumption across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

In the Dominican Republic, the Santiago Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (Coraasan) reported that daily potable water production rose to 169 million gallons in 2026, up from 107 million gallons in 2020. Director General Andrés Cueto attributed this increase to infrastructure rehabilitation, such as the Noriega I Water Treatment Plant. Coraasan also reported a 25% increase in wastewater collection due to network modernization.

In Chile, the Municipal Water and Sewerage Service (SMAPA Maipú) received the Public Leadership Award at Expo Agua Santiago 2026 for its efforts to improve sanitary management and water security following previous investment challenges.

In Spain, Santander approved an €8.39 million project to replace 2.3 km of aging cast-iron conduit with ductile-iron pipe. In Mexico, the utility Seapal Vallarta has taken direct control of technical works on the San Francisco Tank lines to address delays by a private contractor linked to highway construction and restore water flow to affected neighborhoods.