Costa Rica: regulator calls for improved rural water supply

Public services regulator, Aresep, has called on local water utilities to improve the quality of rural water and sanitation systems.

A study by Aresep of 80 rural water and systems run by local local water and sewerage associations (Asadas*) found that water meters and proper disinfection systems were lacking, and that pipes needed to be replaced. Most users rely on septic tanks because there are no sewerage and wastewater treatment systems.

Asadas run 1864 rural water supply systems, which serve 1.2 million people. They operate independently under a delegation agreement with the national water and sewerage utility AyA.

Aresep proposed measures to protect intake works and water catchment areas from contamination. A study by the National Water Laboratory, published in August 2010, revealed that 31% of rural water supplies were contaminated.

In August 2010, AyA president Oscar Nuñez announced that US$ 480 million was needed to improve and maintain rural water supply systems.

* Asociaciones Administradoras de Sistemas de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Comunales

Related web sites (in Spanish):

• Autoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos (Arsep) – Water
• Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) – Rural Water Supply

Source: Alonso Mata B., La Nacion [in Spanish], 31 Aug 2010 ; InsideCostaRica.com, 02 Sep 2010

Costa Rica: Congress reaches broad consensus on water bill

Six of the seven political factions in Costa Rica’s congress have reached a consensus on a new water bill, which aims to protect the country’s water resources and make access to potable water a constitutionally protected right. Congress will convene to discuss the bill in an extraordinary session which begins August 3 [2010].

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 02 Aug 2010

Costa Rica: almost 600,000 people drink contaminated water – AyA

Some 557,000 people in Costa Rica drink water that is contaminated with fecal material or chemicals, especially hydrocarbons, according to tests carried out by national water utility AyA. The figure represents 13% of the population connected to a potable water system.

Read full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 03 Mar 2010

Costa Rica: Govt developing US$270mn wastewater treatment plan

Costa Rica’s state water utility AyA will invest US$270mn to start treating the 2,800l/s of wastewater currently produced in the greater metropolitan area in and around capital San José. The project involves the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the sewerage networks in nine municipalities. The initiative is partly financed with a US$130mn loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Read full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 25 Jan 2010

Costa Rica: IDB-backed water resource center to open in March 2010

The new Central American and Caribbean water resource centre Hidrocec (Centro de Recursos Hídricos para Centroamérica y el Caribe) will open in Costa Rica in March 2010. The centre, which will operate under the state-owned college Universidad Nacional (UNA), will provide technical assistance to help countries in the region preserve their water resources. IDB provided US$ 500,000 to build the centre.

Read full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 19 Jan 2010

Latin America: Camif mezzanine fund in advanced negotiations – Empla

The Central American mezzanine infrastructure fund (Camif), which closed in 2009 at US$150mn, is offering long-term funding in 10 Latin American countries. The fund’s partners are IDB, the World Bank’s IFC, the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei), the Mexican Fondo de Fondos (CMIC) and the Finnish fund for Industrial Cooperation (Finnfund).

The fund will focus on traditional infrastructure projects but it will also invest in related sectors such as water and sanitation, wastewater treatment, recycling and irrigation.

Read full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 14 Jan 2010

Costa Rica: govt reveals US$6bn master plan to manage water resources

Costa Rica needs to invest US$6bn up to 2030 to meet the country’s potable water, irrigation, sanitation and hydroelectric needs, according to a master plan presented by the environment ministry Minaet.

Web site: Minaet – Dirección General de Aguas

Read the full article on: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 02 Dec 2009

Costa Rica: President Arias signs Asadas tax exemption bill

Costa Rica’s President Óscar Arias has signed into law a reform bill to allow the country’s rural water and sewerage associations (Asadas) to operate without paying taxes, water authority AyA said in a release.

The law means that Asadas will no longer have to pay taxes on materials and equipment for constructing and repairing pipelines.

First proposed in May 2009 by Asadas in the country’s northern zone, the bill was supported by AyA, which regulates the rural associations.

“Asadas are the second most important potable water providers in the country, which is why, in recognition of the work carried out by communities and members of these organizations, they will now have the extra support of not having to pay taxes,” said Ricardo Sancho, executive president of AyA.

Currently, Costa Rica has over 2,000 Asadas, which provide water to more than 1.2mn people, accounting for 27% of the national population.

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 19 Oct 2009

Costa Rica, Nicaragua: Crucitas mine could pollute San Juan river, say environmentalists

The Crucitas mining project in Costa Rica being developed by Canada’s Infinito Gold could cause severe damage to Nicaragua’s San Juan river. Sediments and wastewater from Crucitas, located in northern province Alajuela, would cause the San Juan river to become irreversibly contaminated, according to environmentalists.

“The mine’s tailings dams will be highly contaminated with cyanide and heavy metals after the cyanidation and acidization of loose soil,” said Javier Baltodano of the La Ceiba-Amigos de la Tierra ecological association in Costa Rica.

“Those tailings will be 5-6km away from the San Juan river. Any climactic event, any strong tropical storm could damage that structure, and we estimate that those chemicals would arrive in the San Juan river in less than three hours,” he added.

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], 16 Sep 2009

Costa Rica: AyA calls for reduced water consumption to avoid rationing

Costa Rican state water utility AyA has called on the population to reduce its daily consumption by 20%, the entity reported in a release.

Every citizen must cut their water usage from 200l/d to 160l/d to avoid a severe water shortage in the next few months, according to AyA president Ricardo Sancho.

The forecast is based on a study by the water authority, which showed that the El Niño climate phenomenon has caused a reduction in water levels in the central pacific, metropolitan and central western regions.

The hardest-hit region is Chorotega, where the Jicaral, Mansión, Bolsón-Ortega, Tamarindo and Liberia systems all showed up to a 50% reduction in water levels compared to historical averages.

In Puriscal, a canton in the central province of San José, water levels have also fallen by 50%.

Surface water systems in the greater metropolitan area have not yet been affected, but could fall by up to 40% if low rainfall continues in the area, Sancho said.

The utility may begin to ration water in the metropolitan area if water levels continue to fall. Water will also be distributed by trucks, a measure that has already begun in the Atenas canton of Alajuela province.

Source: BNamericas.com [subscription site], Friday, 25 Sep 2009