From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Water management in greater Tegucigalpa
Water management in greater Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa mountain range making the city prone to flooding and
Nickname(s): Tegus landslides with both occurring in 1998 when Hurricane
Tepaz Mitch passed through Tegucigalpa killing 180 people and
Cerro de Plata (Silver Mountain) leaving many more displaced. Other critical IUWM issues
include: inadequate water quality and quantity levels, de-
teriorating watersheds, rivers, and storage reservoirs, in-
efficient water use, rapid and poorly planned urbaniza-
tion, intensive competition between industrial and do-
mestic water users as well as irrigation demands, and
industrial and domestic effluents discharging into the
rivers, tributaries, and reservoirs without treatment.
Overcoming these challenges has been difficult for
SANAA (Servicio Autonomo Nacional de Acueductos y Alcan-
tarillados), the state-run water and sewerage utility in
Tegucigalpa. SANAA’s funding and roles are becoming
uncertain as Honduras continues to decentralize
SANAA’s functions and transfer SANAA assets to munic-
ipalities. The decentralization process began with the
2003 Water Framework Law and further progressed with
the passing of new legal and institutional initiatives such
Country Honduras as the General Water Law (2009) and subsequent National
Department Francisco Morazán Water Authority [1] The General Water Law and the Na-
Authority.
Municipality Distrito Central tional Water Authority are efforts to address IUWM chal-
Founded 1578 lenges in Tegucigalpa and throughout Honduras. The Na-
Capital 1880 tional Water Authority replaces the General Directorate
Merged as Distrito Central 1938 of Water Resources and will continue with an oversight
Government function of the decentralized institutional framework in-
• Type Democratic Municipality cluding the work of SANAA.[2]
Area
• City 751.1 km2 (290 sq mi) Social and economic factors
Elevation 990 m (3,250 ft) Over the last few decades, Honduras and the capital city
Population (2006) of Tegucigalpa have urbanized faster than any other Cen-
• City 894,000 tral American’s country or city. Much of this is due to the
• Metro 1,324,000 fact that Honduras still had remained one of the least ur-
banized countries in the Americas making it ripe for mas-
Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, is located in sive rates of urbanization. Between 1985 and 1990, the ur-
a central mountainous region having a tropical climate banization rate was at 5% and although it has decreased,
within the Choluteca River Basin. Major rivers supplying forecasts from the United Nations Population Division es-
the capital city are the Choluteca and Guacerique rivers timate rapid urbanization through 2010.[1] Tegucigalpa’s
which then fill the Concepción and Laureles storage population density in 2001 was at 99 persons per hectare.
reservoirs. With an urban population of approximately However, the distribution of inhabitants varies greatly
900,000 and another 400,000 living in the surrounding throughout different areas of the city. In general, people
neighborhoods, Tegucigalpa is being confronted with an prefer to live on steep hillsides where landslides are of
array of imposing integrated urban water management considerable concern or in the river valley where flood-
(IUWM) challenges. Potable water coverage is poor with ing is a constant danger.[3]
around 40% of the city’s residents without access to piped On the economic side, structural shifts from agricul-
water supply thus relying on more costly water trucks tural to industrial bases have necessitated movements to
and bottled water.[1] Furthermore, the capital city lies an urban setting for much of the population. Between
within a geographic depression amongst the surrounding 1983 and 2003, the percentage of Honduras’ population
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Water management in greater Tegucigalpa
employed in agriculture declined from 43% to 34%.[1] as compared to 70% of the more affluent. Water storage
This has increased pressure on water supplies and de- tower is not a widely used option for the poor, with only
creased the quality of treatment. Compared to other 3% of households reporting using it.[1]
countries in the Americas, GNP per capita is low, but this
number is growing and likely will continue to grow.[3] Sanitation and water treatment
The US recession is having a substantial negative impact Sanitation services throughout Tegucigalpa and sur-
on the local economy as remittances, exports and foreign rounding areas are poor. Even though SANAA estimates
direct investments are contracting. Real GDP growth was that 70% of the city has sanitation service, the range
projected to fall to around 2.0 percent by end-2009 while of coverage is very low to outlying neighborhoods and
per capita income stands at US$ 1,700.[4] service quality is not good. Choluteca, Chiquito, and
Guacerique rivers are adversely affected by ongoing ur-
Geography and climate banization of Tegucigalpa, and so by consequence, the
Laureles and La Concepción storage reservoirs have be-
Tegucigalpa is located in a central mountainous region come quite contaminated. (Source: Grant funding request for
within a mild tropical zone. There are two primary sea- the Water Partnership Program) The estimated total length
sons during the year. The wet season from May through of the sewerage system is approximately of 840 km. In
October and a dry season from November to April. Tem- particular, there is a wastewater plant within the city us-
peratures are moderate with average lows around 60 d.F ing an aerobic treatment system with capacity to treat
and average highs around 70 d.F. Rainfall averages range 100 l/s in a preliminary treatment phase and in a second
from 0.2 inches in February to 7.30 inches in September treatment phase, the plant can treat another 100 l/s. This
with annual rainfall averages from 36 to 39 inches.[5] By plant is currently managed by an Italian firm. However,
comparison, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the it is expected the plant will be transferred to the city
United States) statistics show average rainfall throughout of Tegucigalpa after the transition of management roles
the rest of Honduras at about 60 inches per year while in from SANAA to the municipality is complete.[8]
Central America, the average is much higher at 94 inches
per year. Rainfall averages in the whole of Latin America
are 61 inches annually.[6] Water challenges
Despite the announcement in his inauguration from
Infrastructure then, President Manuel Zelaya, that his government
would invest 1% of the general budget in the protection
Water supply of natural resources, water remained absent from that
promise.[9] The manager of SANAA, Mr. Jorge Mendez,
Tegucigalpa, which suffers from ongoing water supply speaking at the U.S. Embassy on the management of wa-
challenges, receives water from major rivers that run ter and sanitation stated that, "Honduras has moved
through the city. The Choluteca and Guacerique rivers rather poorly on the issue." Going on, Mr. Mendez assert-
supply water to the Concepción and Laureles reservoirs ed that Honduras is well behind in achieving the objec-
providing Tegucigalpa with a combined flow of 2 cubic tives set by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS).
meters per second (m3/s). The system is predominantly He urged his country to give the same level of impor-
gravity fed with limited pumping to strategically placed tance to water supply challenges that is given to sani-
elevated tanks to increase water pressure in some ar- tation and that the two issues need to be worked on in
eas.[3] Water is also taken from the Picacho and parallel or neither challenge would be met. Mr. Mendez
Sabacuante tributaries. In Tegucigalpa, there are more is hoping to see water resources management and water
than 500 perforated wells, which yield between 1–3 liters supply and sanitation become depoliticized and not used
per second (l/s) of groundwater. Some have greater as an enterprising commodity.[9]
yields of (between 2 and 20 l/s).[7] The more recent (June ’09) coup d’etat whereby the
Honduran military removed President Zelaya by force
Water use & availability has not had a severe affect on urban water management
In 2006, water use in Tegucigalpa was 227 liters per capita in Greater Tegucigalpa. Notably though, international
per day (l/c/d), and by comparison, it is 545 l/c/d in developments banks have suspended ongoing projects
smaller municipal systems.[3] A large percentage of Tegu- indefinitely. Also a challenge, the mayor of Tegucigalapa
cigalpa’s poorest households (38%) do not have access to and Honduran President are from opposing parties cre-
SANAA’s piped water services, where by contrast, only ating a lack of political will in addressing the political di-
2% of the wealthiest do not have access to SANAA’s piped vide between SANAA and the municipality of Tegucigal-
water. Use of bottled water is quite important in Teguci- pa. Lack of political will and a lack of proper capacity to
galpa as a whole, but only 12% of the poor use this option adequately address urban water challenges further add
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Water management in greater Tegucigalpa
to the list of difficult challenges that the capital city must Urbanization and inappropriate land
confront.
use
Insufficient water availability Urbanization threatens the quality of the city’s sur-
rounding watersheds and while the urbanization rate
The 2004 calculated volume of water flowing from the
may slow, Tegucigalpa’s population is expected to reach
Choluteca, Chiquito, and Guacerique rivers to the Laure-
2 million by 2029 thus doubling the 2008 population.
les and La Concepción reservoirs was not enough to meet
Growth is expected in the west but this would encroach
the demand of the more than one million inhabitants liv-
on a major watershed that supplies 30% of the city’s wa-
ing in the capital city. A 2002 World Bank study suggest-
ter. In the south, development is also encroaching on the
ed that the average water availability deficit was approx-
city’s other major reservoir, La Concepcion. This expan-
imately 18% in the wet season, and rose to 45% during
sion has resulted in an increase of deforestation within
the dry season.[4] Local news stories from the past ten
protected areas in the watersheds. This is a serious prob-
years are full of periodic coverage of forced rationing and
lem that is contributing to sedimentation of river chan-
shortages caused by seasonal drought, weather patterns
nels and increasing the potential for flooding on the Cho-
(i.e.El Nino), and natural disasters (i.e.Hurricane Mitch).
luteca River and its tributaries.[3]
Supply problems are further complicated by other im-
portant factors, including: urban and agricultural cont-
amination of watersheds; competition between agricul-
Pollution
tural uses (i.e. irrigation) and city uses (i.e. domestic, in- More than 200 industries are located in different points
dustrial, commercial water users); and Honduras’ depen- throughout the city and typically they discharge indus-
dence on hydroelectric power for more than two thirds trial effluents into the sewer system or directly in to
of total national power generation. Supply issues are es- nearby rivers. Much of the effluents are untreated and
pecially a problem in the outlying barrios surrounding causing a worsening degradation of the water in the Lau-
Tegucigalpa representing about 38% of the population. reles and Concepción reservoirs that provide water to
This poorer sector of population lives on steep hillsides the capital city.[11] Levels of contamination in the reser-
where the piped water system cannot reach. Therefore, voirs are variable on seasonal basis. The discharge of in-
these communities receive water from SANAA water dustrial effluents is constant, however, water quality
trucks that fill storage tanks that is then sold in the com- from July–September is better as higher water levels are
munity. maintained. In the winter when the first rains arrive and
increase domestic effluent runoff, treatment plants
Inefficient water use quickly reach capacity to treat water and levels of conta-
mination increase. During the dry season from March un-
The current water tariff system favors waste over con-
til May, water levels become very low causing problems
servation, and is structured to subsidize large water con-
of foul odor and elevated concentrations of heavy metals
sumers, particularly middle-class and wealthy house-
such as iron. Rivers that run through Tegucigalpa also re-
holds. Problems with the tariff structure stem from an
ceive constant discharges of municipal waste and organic
absence of household water meters. SANAA estimates
material from the surrounding mountains that have been
that in a city of approximately 200,000 households, there
deforested. Another major concern for SANAA is the lack
are only 62,000 water meters, and of those, only 23,000
of proper treatment of domestic sewage that finds its
are functional.[3] Without water meters in many areas of
way into the rivers and storage reservoirs of Tegucigal-
the city, water fees are based upon fixed estimates of wa-
pa.[11]
ter usage. Because these estimates frequently underesti-
mate the volume of water actually drawn, strong incen-
tive exists for residents to disable or destroy existing wa-
Flooding
ter meters, and present a strong disincentive for house- Geographically located in the mountains with peaks and
holds to invest in the installation of new meters. In addi- ridges on all sides, Tegucigalpa is vulnerable to heavy
tion, the lack of meters in the system means that SANAA rain storms that can quickly flood the streets throughout
has no way to clearly identify non-revenue water losses the city. This became clear in 1998 when Hurricane Mitch
within the distribution system, either through leakages made landfall on Central America. Specifically in Tegu-
or illegal connections. It has been suggested that SANAA cigalpa, Mitch left 180 people dead, 860 disappeared,
is only charging customers about 20% of the true cost of 250,000 affected, 3,300 houses partially destroyed, and 14
the water service it provides.[10] of the 20 bridges that connect the city were destroyed.
Exacerbating the problem, rapid and informal growth
has taken place and has made many of Tegucigalpa’s set-
tlements highly vulnerable to environmental degrada-
tion and natural disasters.[1]
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Water management in greater Tegucigalpa
• (Centro de Estudios y Control de
Contaminantes (CESCCO) studies water
quality.[7]
• The newly created , (Autoridad Nacional de Agua)
replaces the General Directorate of Water Resources
and oversees separate institutions responsible for
the administration of water resources, regulating
their use, water distribution development,
conservation, and maintenance. One objective of the
new decentralized separation of institutions is to
avoid administrative and sectoral conflicts between
the institutions themselves.[13]
• (Consejo Nacional de Agua Potable y Saneamiento)-
Flood damage in Tegucigalpa CONASA is the national advisory council office of
SANAA with responsibility for policy on potable
water and sanitation. According to the 2003 Water
Institutional Framework Framework Law, sector policies are defined by
See also: Water Resources Management in Honduras and CONASA. Onother major component of the CONASA
Water supply and sanitation in Honduras mission is to create strategies and plans regarding
• Historically, the institutional framework has been coverage of water services.[14]
fragmented and uncertain in Tegucigalpa. (Servicio
Autonomo Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados), the Response to challenges
state-run water company, continues to own and
manage Tegucigalpa’s water and sewer systems, but
Legal initiatives
is facing steep challenges from its growing
institutional uncertainty and reduced investment • The new was passed in August 2009. A major
budget due to the Water Framework Law (2003) that achievement of the General Law on Water is the new
began a decentralization of management duties away National Water Authority created to oversee the
from state actors in favor of municipalities. The new decentralization of water management roles from
General Law on Water (August 2009) continues this state institutions over to the municipalities. The
process further reducing the role of SANAA. For now municipality of Tegucigalpa is expected to assume
though, water resources management in Tegucigalpa full management responsibility for water and
remains the responsibility of SANAA. Duties include sanitation operations from SANAA. As this transfer
construction, operation, and management of water occurs, the municipality will need considerable
infrastructures and water service provision. SANAA monetary and technical support to maintain
is also responsible for the management and operation of water and sewerage systems while
operation of the urban water supply and sanitation improving deficiencies it will inherit.[1]
infrastructures and programs in Tegucigalpa.[11] • The National Technical Standard for the quality of
• (La Secretaría de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente)- drinking water: Decree No. 084 from 1993, sets the
SERNA, the Ministry of Natural Resources and number and frequency of water samples as well as
Environment is charged with responsibly utilizing maximum parts per million of contaminants that
water resources and sectoral management of water will be permitted.
resources. SERNA oversees DGRH and CESCCO (both • The Technical Standard of wastewater discharges into
described below).[12] nearby rivers, reservoirs and sewerage systems:
• (La Dirección General de Recursos health agreement No. 058 from 1997 sets the
Hídricos (DGRH)), a former unit of maximum allowed discharge of domestic and
SERNA, was charged with the industrial pollutants into surface water supplies.
development, operation, and • The Draft Standard regulates the use of water, which
maintenance of irrigation systems. seeks to establish minimum quality requirements
DGRH also mapped water use required for a particular source (i.e. lake, river) of
concessions and follows up on water according to its end-use.
hydrological data.[7] Source: SANAA
While these legal standards are in place, adequate re-
sources and capacity to maintain high quality water are
not. Tegucigalpa continues to grow and increase pres-
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Water management in greater Tegucigalpa
sure on the supplies and the ability of SANNA to treat HOXX0008?from=36hr_bottomnav_business.
wastewater. When coupled with inadequate sanitation Retrieved 2009-08-28.
and sewerage that discharge into supply rivers and stor- [6] "General summary: Latin America and the
age reservoirs, the legal framework becomes unreliable Caribbean Water resources". FAO. 2009.
in maintaining high water quality standards. This was a http://www.fao.org/NR/WATER/AQUASTAT/
driving factor in the creation of the General Water Law of regions/lac/index3.stm. Retrieved 2009-09-11.
2009 and subsequent National Water Authority. [7] ^ Ballestero, M. (2007). "Groundwater in Central
America: Its importance, development and use,
Watershed protection with particular reference to its role in irrigated
There is an effort to control growth in certain directions agriculture". Global Water Partnership.
to preserve protected areas and watersheds. An impor- http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/
tant component of the growth strategy is the formulation CABI_Publications/CA_CABI_Series/
of a long-term plan from the municipality, under the Ground_Water/protected/
leadership of the Mayor. This plan is called the Plan Giordano_1845931726-Chapter6.pdf.. Retrieved
Metropoli 2029.[3] 2009-08-27.
[8] HERMIDA, ANDRÉS M. (2006). "(Spanish)ANÁLISIS
Pollution Control DE LOS SISTEMAS DE ACUEDUCTO Y
ALCANTARILLADO DE LA CIUDAD DE
Beginning in 1993, SANNA instituted a program to mon-
TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS.". Inter-American
itor the quality of water and maintain the standards set
Development Bank (IDB). pp. 11–13.
by the National Technical Standard. The goal was to deliver
http://docs.google.com/
water at a specific quantity and quality adequate to the
gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=1220dea4902a8e6a&mt=app
needs of the city. This has been difficult to achieve as ur-
Retrieved 2009-09-01.
banization rates have been high and municipal and in-
[9] ^ El Heraldo staff (2009). "(Spanish) Calidad del
dustrial effluents have been a growing and constant chal-
agua por debajo de Objetivos del Milenio". El
lenge.[11]
Heraldo. http://www.elheraldo.hn/content/view/
full/112793. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
References [10] Water First International staff blogger (2009).
"Tegucigalpa: Honduras’ water supply, or lack
[1] ^ "Urban Services Delivery and the Poor: The Case
thereof". Water First International.
of Three Central American Cities". The World Bank.
http://water1st.org/waterlog/?p=114. Retrieved
2002. pp. 33. http://docs.google.com/
2009-08-28.
gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=1220debda9ba0ce5&mt=application%2Fpdf.
[11] ^ Reyes de Nasser, Dra. Lourdes Patricia (2006).
Retrieved 2009-08-27.
"(Spanish) PROBLEMÁTICA DE LA CALIDAD DEL
[2] Honduras laboral-Comun (2009). "Quién
AGUA DEL ACUEDUCTO DE TEGUCIGALPA". SANAA.
administrará el agua?". Honduras Laboral-Comun.
http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsaidis/centroa22/
http://www.honduraslaboral.org/leer.php/1615#.
Ponencia42.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
Retrieved 2009-07-30.
[12] "(Spanish) Secretary of Natural Resources and
[3] ^ Angel, Shlomo (2004). "Rapid Urbanization in
Environment". SERNA. 2009.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras: Preparing for the Doubling
http://www.serna.gob.hn/Paginas/default.aspx.
of the City’s Population in the Next Twenty-five
Retrieved 2009-07-09.
Years". Princeton University-Woodrow Wilson
[13] La Tribuna staff (2009). "(Spanish) Honduras - Ley
School of Public and International Affairs.
de aguas privilegia el consumo humano del recurso
http://docs.google.com/
hídrico". Offnews. http://www.offnews.info/
gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=1220deb2a9879563&mt=application%2Fpdf.
verArticulo.php?contenidoID=13250. Retrieved
Retrieved 2009-09-16.
2009-07-30.
[4] ^ "Honduras Country Brief". The World Bank. 2009.
[14] "(Spanish) National Advisory Council on Potable
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/
Water and Sanitation". CONASA. 2009.
COUNTRIES/LACEXT/HONDURASEXTN/
http://www.sanaa.hn/conasa/conasa.htm.
0,,menuPK:295080~pagePK:141132~piPK:141107~theSitePK:295071,00.html.
Retrieved 2009-08-28.
Retrieved 2009-09-16.
[5] "Average temperature and rainfall totals for
Tegucigalpa". Weather Channel.com. 2009. See also
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/
• Tegucigalpa
businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/
• Water Resources Management in Honduras
• Water supply and sanitation in Honduras
5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Water management in greater Tegucigalpa
• Water Resources Management: The Choluteca river • Integrated urban water management in Aracaju,
basin in Honduras Brazil
• Water management in Greater Mexico City • Integrated urban water management in Medellín,
• Water management in the Metropolitan Region of Colombia
São Paulo • Urban water management in Bogotá, Colombia
• Urban water management in Monterrey, Mexico • Integrated urban water management in Buenos
Aires, Argentina
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Categories:
• Tegucigalpa
• Water resources management in Honduras
• Water supply and sanitation in Honduras
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