Obsolete distribution networks and irregular connections lead to losses of up to 70% of drinking water in municipalities of the city of Córdoba in northern Colombia, affecting the continuity of service even in areas with new treatment and distribution infrastructure.
The municipality of Lorica exemplifies this problem, losing seven out of every ten litres of water entering its distribution system, according to Aguas de Córdoba. The municipality faces this situation because of pipes that are more than 40 years old. Maruen Jabib Janna, director of Aguas de Córdoba, explains:
“Seventy per cent of the water that enters the distribution network, that is, the entire small network that brings water to the homes, is lost.”
Losses are due to a variety of factors: deteriorated pipes, fraudulent connections and improvised repairs carried out over decades. This situation is repeated in several municipalities in the department where internal networks have not been renovated.
The problem persists even in areas benefiting from new projects, such as the San Jorge regional aqueduct, where the main infrastructure is modern but the municipal networks remain old. Jabib Janna says:
“It is necessary to revise an investment plan for this operational project, because what we are doing is building a plant, a reservoir, a line with storage, but we have not seen the internal networks of each municipality, we have not touched them, we do not know them.”
The solution is for mayors to develop specific projects to renovate their distribution networks. Without these interventions, investment in new infrastructure will not guarantee improved service.
Municipalities should implement micro-metering systems, sectorisation and renovation of smaller networks to optimise water distribution. These actions are the direct responsibility of the municipalities, independently of the ongoing departmental works.
