Water worries for tanners

18/12/2007
A water dispute in the Mexican city of León could lead to large cost increases for local tanneries. The city's official water company, SAPAL, has succeeded in having 40 wells on the outskirts of the city closed in recent days.

Owners of the wells had set up a network of pipes to provide homes and businesses with an alternative source of water. Two tanneries have spoken to local media to pledge their support for the smaller providers of water. There is a simple reason for this: if SAPAL becomes their supplier, water costs for these companies will rise by 300%.