Government Says It A Has Plan To Supply
Water To Guanacaste, But No Money To Build
Project
Guancastecos can take relied that the
government has put on paper a plan that
guarantees the supply of drinking water in
the province, however, it lacks the funds to
put the plan into place.
The plan includes the construction of a
reservoir on the Piedras river, some 9
kilometres from Bagaces, which is to cost
us$100 million dollars.
The reservoir would cover an area of 830
hectares (2.000 acres) and would have a dam
36 metres (118 feet) high.
The ministro de Agricultura, Javier Flores,
that is in charge of the project says that
the government is looking for financing and
is not discarding making a deal with an
international money source.
Flores added that a commission will be
formed that not only will be in charge of
speeding up the contract process but the
construction.
The minister explained that it is hoped the
financing will be obtained during the first
year of the project and the following two
years to build it.
The plan has already been presented to local
farmers, cattle breeders, residents and
local authorities. The presentaion was made
last month when it was said by the
Ministerio de la Presidencia that financing
for the project was in place, but that was
not the case.
Under the plan, the reservoir will store
water discharged from Lake Arenal
hydroelectric projects and otherICE projects
in the area, that now is discharged into the
Pacific Ocean.
Once the reservoir is in place, some 3 cubic
metres per second (m3/s) of water will go to
the Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA)
treatment plant that will be built in Santa
Cruz.
Currenlty the AyA confirms that the
Guanacaste consumes some 1.1 m3/s of water
and that the new treatment facility would
supply water for the coming 30 years.
German Mora, subgerente de Investigación y
Desarrollo de AyA, explained that the taking
of water from the Arenal will vent
groundwater sources which is now used to
supply water to the province.
Mora added that the water going to the
reservoir not only be used to supply potable
water to the province, but will also supply
water for irrigation and generating
electricity. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
