More than one million Costa Ricans will benefit from wastewater sanitation works financed by CABEI with US$565 million
• Projects will be executed in San José, Palmares, Quepos, Golfito, and Jacó.
San José, February 26, 2025.- Strengthening the quality of life of more than one million people, environmental sustainability, and economic development of its founding member Costa Rica, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) approved a US$565 million loan to finance an extensive Wastewater Sanitation Works Program in the country.
Important projects are included within the financing that includes key interventions such as 57 new pumping stations, four new wastewater treatment plants and more than 159,000 household connections to modernize current systems. Likewise, the execution of this program is expected to generate 200 permanent and temporary jobs.
Project and beneficiaries | Works to be carried out | Main Expected Impacts |
Improvement of GAM's environment
1.07 million people | 134.6 km of rehabilitated/constructed pipelines; which would allow connecting the existing works to feed the Los Tajos wastewater treatment plant. | Environmental health for 11 cantons: San José, Desamparados, Escazú, Goicoechea, Alajuelita, Vásquez de Coronado, Tibás, Moravia, Montes de Oca, Curridabat, and La Unión, improvements in sanitation indicators, increase in construction jobs. |
Sanitary sewer system in Jacó
38,367 people | Construction of wastewater treatment plant, sanitary sewer system including planned sewers, collection networks, collectors, pumping stations, impulsion lines, monitoring, operational control, and data capture. | Elimination of septic tanks, less contamination of ground and surface water, strengthening of environmental competitiveness indicators. |
Sanitary sewer system in Quepos
28,463 people | Collection and treatment system; wastewater treatment plant, coverage of more than 90% of the population with potable water by 2046. | Elimination of direct wastewater discharges to the sea, strengthening urban conditions and habitability. |
Sanitary sewer system in Palmares
31,605 people | Construction of network and collectors; wastewater treatment plant | Reduction of contamination; revaluation of properties; advances in research and training in wastewater treatment technologies. |
Sanitary sewer system in Golfito
8,000 people | Collection and treatment system; wastewater treatment plant. | Elimination of septic tanks; reduction of polluting discharges; protection of the Golfito National Wildlife Refuge. |
This program approved for the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (AyA) joins a portfolio financed by CABEI that includes five other programs with works in different parts of the country, mainly related to drinking water supply, sanitation, sewerage, and reduction of non-accounted water.
CABEI reaffirms its position as a strategic partner for Costa Rica in priority projects that promote human and economic development. The works, which already have advanced technical planning, are scheduled to begin in 2025 and are expected to generate direct and indirect jobs during their execution.
