basin, itself being part of the Scheldt (Escaut) basin. The Senne, which had become a heavily polluted drain, was covered at the end of the 19th century when parts of the river disappeared under boulevards. During the 1950s it was completely covered, with a mixture of storm water and untreated wastewater being discharged into the environment until 2007. To remedy this situation, a wastewater management plan was put together in the 1980s and early 1990s by the Brussels and Flanders regions. It foresaw the construction of two wastewater treatment plants, one in the South and the other in the North. The Brussels-South wastewater treatment plant, situated between Anderlecht and Forest, came into service in July 2000. It treats about a third of the Brussels's wastewater. A 20-year Built-Operate Transfer contract for the larger Brussels-North wastewater treatment plant was awarded to Acquiris, a consortium led by Veolia Water, in 2001. The plant was completed in March 2007 and discharges into the Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal. Introducing the basic right to water Flemish Region. Since 1997, the Flemish Region has recognised that "every customer is entitled to a basic uninterrupted supply of [...] water for household purposes in order to be able to live decently according to prevailing living standards". Walloon region. Since 2003, the right to equitable access to water for everyone has been a point of Walloon law, with a tax of 0,0125 euros/m3 going into a Social Fund set up to help pay for water for those in francophone areas who cannot afford it. There was no assistance provided for communities speaking German. In 2008, the IELRC reported that Wallonia was also "in the process of introducing a new water tax to finance water projects in selected developing countries". Belgian constitution. If a 2006 proposal before the Belgian Senate is passed, the Constitution of Belgium will be amended with a new paragraph on Article 23 recognising a constitutional "right to an adequate water supply, sufficient in quality and quantity". Responsibility for service provision Belgium is a Federal State composed by three regions: the Flemish region, the Walloon region and the Brussels-Capital region. Policy and regulation The governments of the regions are responsible policy and regulation related to water supply and sanitation, and for environmental policy more generally. Within the regional governments, the leading role is assured by the regional administrations of the environment: The Flemish Ministry Energy, the Environment and