Spanish Water Business in Colombia: Making Money on a Human Right. The marketing article of iagua:
Colombia invests 217 million euros in water and sanitation projects.
Despite being one of the countries with the greatest availability of water resources, Colombia is in a critical situation in terms of access to drinking water. Currently, some 3.2 million people do not have access to this vital resource, and some 12 million receive poor quality service. Although water coverage has increased from 57.8% to 88.9% over the last four decades, the gap between urban and rural areas remains a significant challenge.
To close these gaps, the Colombian government has earmarked 1 trillion Colombian pesos (around €217 million) for drinking water and basic sanitation projects, but there is a need to diversify funding sources and encourage private sector participation through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to ensure the long-term sustainability of these initiatives. An additional problem is that only 52% of the country’s wastewater is adequately treated, putting public health and water quality at risk. Addressing this situation is critical to ensuring a safe and sustainable water supply.
Addressing these challenges requires an integrated approach that combines community-based water management with waste management. While the water sector in Colombia has great potential for growth, a shared commitment between the government, the private sector and local communities is essential to overcome current challenges and ensure universal and sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Opportunities
The water and sanitation sector in Colombia is an area full of opportunities for Spanish companies, with several key projects. These include the Departmental Water and Sanitation Plan for Peace, led by the national government, which involves an investment of more than 3 billion Colombian pesos. This programme aims to improve the coverage and quality of water, sewerage and sanitation services in rural areas and vulnerable communities through the construction and optimisation of drinking water treatment plants, distribution networks and sewerage systems. Given the scale of the works planned, this initiative offers a number of interesting opportunities for Spanish companies specialising in this sector.
In addition, projects such as the Bogotá Water and Sewerage Master Plan, which is currently being implemented, are another important source of potential contracts. With an estimated investment of more than 10 billion Colombian pesos (approximately 2102 million euros), this plan includes the modernisation and expansion of the capital’s aqueduct and sewerage network, the construction of new storage tanks and the optimisation of wastewater treatment plants. The demand for companies offering innovative and technological solutions in this sector is considerable, given the infrastructure needs of a city that is constantly growing.
In terms of specific projects, a strategic opportunity for Spanish companies is the open competition launched by the Ministry of Housing, Cities and Territories to advise on a comprehensive solution for the supply of drinking water in La Guajira. The project aims to resolve the serious crisis of access to drinking water in the region, where coverage is alarmingly low, at barely 8% in rural areas and 3% in key municipalities such as Maicao and Uribia. The consultancy covers technical, economic, legal and environmental aspects and includes the construction of two desalination plants and a 160 km pipeline. With an estimated budget of almost 29 billion Colombian pesos and a construction period of 13 months, this is an ambitious and highly relevant project.
Another interesting project is the expansion of the Cartago wastewater treatment plant, managed by the Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca. With an investment of more than 60 billion pesos (around 40 million euros), this work will increase the capacity of the plant and guarantee the supply of drinking water to a projected population of 255,000 by 2050. The expansion of PTAR Cartago, which will increase production capacity from 520 to 660 litres per second, represents a major opportunity for Spanish companies in the water infrastructure and treatment sector.
In Colombia, Spanish companies have been active in the integral water cycle and have played a leading role in major water infrastructure projects. Their presence has grown significantly in recent years, and they have built a positive reputation for delivering projects that meet high standards of quality and efficiency.
For more information, download our report ‘The water and sanitation market in Colombia’ or contact our experts at the Spanish Trade Office in Bogota.
