Huge Water Increase On the Way
With the new year comes a series of increases. Taxi and bus fares and utilities will top the list of increases for 2007, with the Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) - water and sewers - topping the list.

The AyA has made a request of the Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep) - the regulator of public prices and services - for a whopping increase of 35% for the price of water that will affect some 500.000 customers, according to the Ricardo Sancho, president of the AyA.

The increase, if approved, will go into effect on May 1.

Sancho explained that the AyA has only increased its rates once since 2003, a 5% increase in 2005, which was not enough to stay ahead of inflation which, according to the AyA chief, has accumulated by 28%.

The increase, Sancho explained, will be used to continue and develop new programs that has been lacking at the institution due to the low finances.

The AyA chief said that the 500.000 customers translates to 2.000.000 people having potable water in ther homes daily. The AyA will alos be installing the 175.000 new water meters it purchased last year, a purchase it had not made in more than six years.

The AyA president also assured that there will be no water rationing this year, even thought the "dry" season is expected to continue longer than usual due to the effects of the "el Niño" phenomenum.

Sancho added that there are no signs that rationing will be necessary even if the water wells fall below accepted levels as the AyA has taken measures to fill the water tanks so as to be able to keep the water flowing.

The AyA president did, however, add that there could be some shortages in Guanacaste and the Pacific coastal regions like Quepos and Manuel Antonio, where in actuality tanker trucks deliver water to the area hotels and residents.

Sancho said that the institution will keep an close eye on the level situation and avoid problems of the past in providing adequate services.