Argentina Delays Signing of $340 Million AySA Water Privatization

Freitag, 13. November 2026

Argentina's government has postponed the signing of the contract that will transfer control of Agua y Saneamientos Argentinos (AySA), the state-run utility that supplies drinking water and sewage service to roughly 14 million people in and around Buenos Aires, to a private consortium. The signing, originally set for November 13, has been pushed back to mid-December, with several Argentine outlets reporting a new date of December 17.

President Javier Milei's administration awarded a 90% stake in AySA on October 22 to a consortium led by the Argentine firm Rowing S.A., which beat out a rival bidder with an offer of US$340.2 million. The sale is one of the highest-profile privatizations in Milei's broader push to shrink the state's role in infrastructure and utilities, reversing a nationalization that had kept AySA in public hands since 2006.

According to Argentine financial outlets including Infobae and Informe Digital, the delay stems largely from a scheduling conflict: public holidays declared around Pope Francis's visit to Argentina compressed the government's calendar, leaving officials unable to complete the paperwork and formalities needed to close by November 13. Infobae reported on November 12 that the formal purchase agreement would now be executed in mid-December instead.

The incoming private operator will take on binding commitments as part of the deal. Argentine business outlet iProfesional has reported that the buyer must invest in the network, expand coverage into underserved areas, and cut the utility's high rate of water losses from leaks and aging pipes. Outlet El Diario AR has reported that the concession includes an obligation to achieve universal water and sewage coverage across AySA's service area, with a timeline cited in that outlet's reporting that stretches out for decades — underscoring how far large swaths of Greater Buenos Aires still lie from full piped water and sanitation access despite the utility's size.

AySA is Argentina's largest water and sanitation company and one of the largest in Latin America, drawing on the Río de la Plata for treatment and distribution. Its privatization has drawn criticism from unions and some consumer groups, who have raised concerns over past and anticipated tariff increases tied to the transition, even as the government argues private capital and management are needed to fund overdue network upgrades and reduce losses. For now, AySA remains under state control while both sides finalize the paperwork for what would be one of the most consequential utility sales in Argentina in two decades.