Spanish Donate us$35
Million For Water And
Sewer Projects
Following the visit by
Costa Rican president
Oscar Arias last week,
Spain yesterday
announced a us$35
million dollar
investment in the water
and sewage projects. The
investment was made
public by Ricardo Sancho,
president of the
Instituto Costarricense
de Acueductos y
Alcantarillados (AyA)
and the ministro de
Relaciones Exteriores,
Bruno Stagno.
Foreign minister Stagno
made it clear that the
us$35 million dollars is
not a loan, but rather a
gift from the Fondo de
Cooperación Española.
One of the first
projects to benefit from
the donation is the area
of Conte, in Pavón,
Golfito and its 3.000
residents that comprise
the communities of
Escuadra, Conte, Unión
Sur, Camote, Pueblo
Nuevo, Barrido,
Langostino, La Virgen,
Jardín, Fortuna, Pilón
and Gorrión.
The project alone will
cost us$5 million
dollars and before the
Spanish donation the
project had been stalled
in the planning stage.
Sancho said yesterday
that the water and sewer
utility can now go ahead
with the design and
construction of the
project.
Another project waiting
funding is the Boca
Arenal in San Carlos,
which will now be
completed with the
donation. Other areas
that will also benefit
from the donation are
the areas of Baja
Talamanca in Limón and
communities in Sixaola
which have had constant
problems with the
quality of drinking
water.
The province of
Puntarenas will also see
improvements in its
sanitary sewer system,
including the building a
water treatment plant
that has been badly
needed for the last 150
years, according to
Sancho.
The work in Puntarenas
will cost some us$20
million dollars and
benefit 110.000
residents of the area.
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