Chile's dictatorship-era water code is getting a makeover

FILE PHOTO: A block of ice broken off from Grey glacier floats at the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chilean lawmakers took further votes on Wednesday to overhaul the country's dictatorship-era water code, aiming to replace decades-old legislation that largely privatized water rights with a new code that prioritizes human consumption and the environment.

The reform bill, which has languished in Congress for 10 years, has made big strides thus far in 2021, including a unanimous Senate vote late last month blessing the overall goals of the legislation.