Costa Rica News – A new water law will punish those who illegally drill wells with fines. It will also sanction the creation of pollution and the use of tributaries without permission.
This is called the Law on Integrated Management of Water Resources.
It was approved on Thursday by the Legislative Assembly. The fines will be given out by the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers. They will be between five and seven base salaries.
These infractions are qualified as “very serious.” We must all agree to stop dumping waste water and to take better care of the water that we all have a right to.
This law does not privatize water, as its consumption is maintained as a human right.
The law also eliminates the hydro-logical unit councils but this doesn’t end citizen participation in decisions as the national water balance and hydro-logical unit water plans will be submitted to public consultation.