Some 500,000 people living in the San Jose metro area can expect to begin experiencing water rationing of up to 12 hours per day beginning this month, the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA) said Tuesday during a press conference.

The San Jose suburbs of Escazu, Santa Ana, Salitral and Desamparados are expected to be the most affected. Some 150,000 people in those areas could expect to be without water between 6 and 12 hours per day, according to AyA.

Another 368,000 people in San Jose, Tibas, Goicoechea, Moravia, Mora, Montes de Oca, Coronado and other areas around the San Jose metro are expected to see water cuts lasting up to 6 hours per day, according to AyA estimates.

Other areas such as Puriscal and Atenas are expected to experience water cuts lasting more than eight hours per day.

AyA warned of the rationing last month, saying that the rationing would be the result of a decrease in aquifer levels and “excessive consumption” of water by its customers.

The rationing in the Central Valley could continue into July, according to experts.

Meanwhile, in Guanacaste, some 140 communities are expected to suffer water shortages, including 32 communities where water rationing could exceed 12 hours per day.

Some of the communities likely to be affected are Tamarindo, Liberia, Cañas, and Nicoya, amongst others.

 

In joint effort, public institutes to search for new Guanacaste water sources

In a joint effort between the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) announced in late January, engineers will soon begin a quest to find additional water sources for Costa Rica’s drought-stricken Guanacaste province.

The joint agreement, coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) will involve the drilling of 13 exploratory wells over the course of the next 12 months in search of new sources of groundwater to supply the province, which has bore the brunt of an El Niño-fueled drought since 2014, leading to serious water shortages throughout the province.

ICE will provide equipment and expertise, including experts and specialists in hydrogeology, geology, geophysics and drilling.

For its part, AyA will be responsible for carrying out the actual drilling and testing of the wells, and the construction of delivery systems for wells found suitable for exploitation.

The government of Costa Rican president, Luis Guillermo Solis declared a plan to improve water infrastructure and provide drought relief in the province in July of last year, declaring the initiative to be of “national interest” and pledging US $50 million to solve the province’s water crisis.

In announcing the plan, known as the “Integral Water Supply Program for Guanacaste” in July 2015, the government said that funding would be provided as part of a donation from China that was received in January of last year, in addition to financing provided by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE), as well as US $2 million from ICE and additional funding via services fees charged by AyA.

Since late 2014, Guanacaste has been in the midst of the province’s worst drought recorded since 1937.  Losses in agricultural exports as a result of the drought are estimated to be as high as hundreds of millions of dollars.

Among the most affected crops are sugarcane, rice, corn, oranges, mangos and watermelons.

Water shortages have also severely affected residential and tourism developments in the province.