IDB, Japan, Spain to Support Costa Rican Water Projects

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Japan and Spain will fund Costa Rica’s water projects to improve drinking water, sanitation and wastewater treatment services in urban and peri-urban areas of the country.

The financial package includes a $73m loan from IDB and a $20m grant from the Spanish Government, complementing an existing $150m loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Costa Rica will provide an additional $77m counter funding for the projects, totalling an investment of $320m, out of which $274m will be used to improve services in San Jose by constructing and rehabilitating sewer networks and collectors, including more than 160km of pipes in the Maria Aguilar and Tiribi river watersheds, a treatment plant and transmission tunnel connecting collectors.

Another $26m will be used for the construction and rehabilitation of rural water systems and sanitation systems in northern areas of the country. This will include the construction of drinking water systems at 112 rural communities, while 500 individual sanitation solutions will benefit the poorest sectors of the population.

In addition, $14m will be used to finance the construction and rehabilitation of 73km of drinking water networks and 15km of sewers at ten low-income peri-urban areas of San Jose.