Residents of Aserrí are facing prolonged water shortages that have disrupted homes, schools and businesses, while the local government considers handing control of its struggling water system to Costa Rica’s national water utility. The municipality has acknowledged that the problem has existed for years but says it has become worse during the current dry period.
Water rationing has been in place in different parts of the canton since April, with some residents receiving water for only a few hours, often early in the morning. Families have responded by filling bottles, barrels and storage tanks whenever water becomes available. Residents who cannot afford storage equipment are more exposed to the outages and depend heavily on municipal water trucks.
Schools and local businesses are also feeling the effects. At least one public school has asked children to bring drinking water from home and has occasionally suspended lessons when its stored supply runs out. Hair salons, barber shops and other businesses that depend on running water have reported difficulty serving customers.
The shortage has been accompanied by concerns about water quality. During an investigation into a hepatitis A outbreak in Aserrí and neighboring San Juan de Dios de Desamparados, the Ministry of Health examined 10 samples from two water systems.
The tests found low chlorine levels, sediment and fecal coliform contamination in the Lourdes system operated by the Aserrí municipal aqueduct. Samples from the separately operated Poás and Barrio Corazón de Jesús water system did not show microbiological contamination.
Health authorities ordered the municipal aqueduct to improve its disinfection process. The Ministry later confirmed that the required corrections were completed and that the water had been verified as safe to drink. Fourteen hepatitis A cases have been identified in Aserrí and San Juan de Dios de Desamparados. None of the patients required hospitalization, and no deaths were reported. Authorities have not said that the contaminated water was definitively responsible for every case.
The Municipality of Aserrí described the contamination as an isolated incident affecting the Lourdes system rather than the entire municipal network. Officials said animals near water sources may have contributed to the contamination. The municipality says it has since increased chlorine checks, strengthened water treatment and begun continuously monitoring how cloudy the water is.
The larger problem, however, is finding enough water to serve the population. Local officials point to drought and reduced flow at the water sources supplying the canton. Residents also blame years of urban growth without enough investment in pipes, treatment systems and new water sources.
The municipality says it has improved its treatment plant and water intake points, opened a well in Lagunillas de Salitrillos and is building another near the local sports field. Tanker trucks continue delivering water to the most affected areas. On August 10, Mayor Patricia Porras asked the Municipal Council to begin discussions with the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers, known as AyA, about possibly transferring management of the municipal water system.
AyA President Lourdes Suárez said the national utility is prepared to assume responsibility if required. However, she cautioned that transferring the system would not produce an immediate improvement because Aserrí needs major work on its water sources, treatment facilities and pipes.
That warning underscores the scale of the problem. Even if AyA takes over, residents could continue facing rationing while the system is repaired and expanded. The Ministry of Health advises people without confirmed potable water to add four drops of chlorine to each liter of water or boil it for 20 minutes. Residents should also seek medical attention if they develop fever, abdominal pain, dark urine or yellowing of the skin or eyes, which can be signs of hepatitis A.
