Pre-design for a Wastewater Collection and Treatment System in La Fortuna de San Carlos Developed

By GIZ - The pre-design of the system started in May 2021. Since then, the team has been engaged in the preliminary topography, structural and treatment system predesign, and obtaining permits, among others. All these processes have been performed in collaboration with the Water Directorate (DA) of the Ministry of Environment, the Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA in Spanish), the development association of La Fortuna of San Carlos, the Inter-American Development Bank, and GIZ. The project’s goal is the provision of sanitation services for more than 23,000 habitants by the year 2050 in one of the most beautiful tourist places in Costa Rica. On the 26 th of August 2022, the workshop "Towards sustainability of the sanitation system in La Fortuna of San Carlos” took place, in which the results of the feasibility study for the sanitation system were presented and funding was discussed. The results of the feasibility study were presented by the consulting company Hidrogeotecnia Ltd (HGT). Additional workshops took place with interested stakeholders. Later, participants shared lessons learned from other projects and discussed the next steps. Possible sources of funding were also addressed. The workshop was considered very useful as it enabled fruitful discussions and agreements. The main upcoming challenge for the project is to gather economic resources and to continue the stages of the final design.