▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁which ▁ou sted ▁Be cht el , ▁a ▁US ▁engineering ▁firm ▁based ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco . ▁S uez ▁has ▁started ▁retre ating ▁from ▁South ▁America ▁because ▁of ▁similar ▁protest s ▁in ▁Buenos ▁Aires , ▁Santa ▁Fe , ▁and ▁C ór dob a , ▁Argentina . ▁Cons um ers ▁took ▁to ▁the ▁streets ▁to ▁protest ▁water ▁rate ▁h ikes ▁of ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ 5 0 0 % ▁mand ated ▁by ▁S uez . ▁In ▁South ▁and ▁Central ▁America , ▁S uez ▁has ▁water ▁con cess ions ▁in ▁Argentina , ▁Boliv ia , ▁Brazil ▁and ▁Mexico . ▁" B ol iv ian ▁officials ▁fault ▁S uez ▁for ▁not ▁connecting ▁enough ▁households ▁to ▁water ▁lines ▁as ▁mand ated ▁by ▁its ▁contract ▁and ▁for ▁charg ing ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁$ 4 5 5 ▁a ▁connection , ▁or ▁about ▁three ▁times ▁the ▁average ▁month ly ▁sal ary ▁of ▁an ▁office ▁cl erk ", ▁according ▁to ▁The ▁Mercur y ▁News . ▁ ▁South ▁Africa ▁also ▁made ▁moves ▁to ▁priv at ize ▁water , ▁prov oking ▁an ▁out break ▁of ▁ch ol era ▁that ▁killed ▁ 2 0 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁World ▁Bank ▁consult ants ▁assist ed ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁government ▁in ▁the ▁priv at ization ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Man ila ' s ▁Metropolitan ▁Water works ▁and ▁Se wer age ▁Systems ▁( MW SS ). ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁water ▁price ▁increases ▁registered ▁at ▁ 8 1 % ▁in ▁the ▁east