In 1994, the “Law of Creation of the Cantonal Company of Potable Water and Sanitation of Guayaquil (ECAPAG)” was promulgated help local authorities face new challenges (e.g. population growth and environmental pressure). From 1994 to 2001, ECAPAG managed to provide good-quality services, but their geographic coverage remained scattered

In 2001, ECAPAG delegated to Interagua the mission to operate, maintain, finance and improve potable water, sewerage and rainwater management services. Interagua had to face important challenges as in 2001 only 61% of the Guayaquil population had access to potable water and only 45% to sanitation services.

In close collaboration and partnerships with ECAPAG, Interagua took up the following challenges: set up an efficient management based on high governance principles, improve the services both in terms of scope and quality (water quality, pressure, continuity, accurate invoicing, etc.), and establish a fair tariff structure abiding essential principles of equity, transparency and efficiency.

Key challenges

Nowadays, Interagua faces the following challenges: global changes (climate change, continuous demographic growth…), efficient governance (continuous improvement of the coordination among stakeholders), financing (for sustainable infrastructure development), operational (planning and risk management...) and training and education (community outreach, internal and external capacity building and skill development for all actors, technological transfer).