Quito’s Metropolitan Public Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation (Epmaps-Agua de Quito), in Ecuador, has announced it will be investing US$195.5 million in drinking water projects and US$87.9 million in sanitation infrastructure to expand its capacity, reports Bnamericas.
In the statement, Epmaps said it was committed to Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, works towards universal access to these services, promoting the improvement of water quality and the efficient use of the resource. In the Metropolitan District, 98.22% of inhabitants have access to water that meets all the quality parameters for human consumption, while sewerage coverage reaches 94%.
Currently, Epmaps and the Water Protection Fund (Fonag) co-manage 20,000 hectares of their own land acquired for this purpose, as well as working on conservation agreements with local communities.
Agua de Quito also manages the care of water sources in the páramos to ensure the future availability of water in the Metropolitan District, with the support of Fonag, which was created as a trust fund financed by the monthly contribution of drinking water service revenues. This management model has been replicated in more than 15 countries with more than 40 similar initiatives worldwide.
