Water

Given my career and obsession with water you may be surprised how long it has taken me to write about it.  The truth is that there is not a lot of public awareness or information about water here.  The climate is almost like Arizona (very dry heat during the day and cold at night, a short rainy season June-September with really not that much rain) so you would expect there to be an awareness of water use but perhaps it is because of the huge reserves in the snow-capped Andes are the backyard. Word has it that there are a lot more conflicts in the more arid areas and where the mining industry is in conflict with local agricultural interests.   Unlike a lot of Latin America, most of the urban areas have a clean water supply and have wastewater treatment.  

The Chocolate Rivers

That said, they definitely have a water quality issue with their urban rivers (ditches?).  Most of the rivers including the main one that flows through town, the Mapocho, are entirely concrete lined and usually barely hold any water although they are built for the spring floods.  I have yet to see a roaring river and instead usually just observe a lot of trash on the "banks" waiting to be swept away by the next deluge

Wikipedia:  The Mapocho River remains contaminated by household, agricultural and industrial sewage, and by upstream copper-mining waste (from the several copper mines in the Andes, east of Santiago), being dumped unfiltered into the river. Laws force industry and local governments to process all their wastewater, but are loosely enforced.  There are now a number of large wastewater processing and recycling plants under construction. There are ongoing plans to decontaminate the river and make it navigable.  [I know all about planning......]

Wastewater

In March 2007, only 61% of the wastewater in Santiago was treated, though this increased to 71% by the end of the year (Wikipedia).  Not sure if it is there yet - Rob - any idea?

Drinking Water

The standards are pretty similar to the US and we have been drinking it since we arrived with no problems.

Water Use

Again, it is very arid here but the concept of xeroscaping has definitely not been introduced or perhaps not caught on.  Instead, because labor is so cheap they have a different type of sprinkler system here that starts early each morning that I highlighted in another blog.  That said, there is this advertisement campaign going on so somebody cares.