Factors that determine the sustainability of the basic sanitation service in Manizales

Abstract

Sewage treatment is one of the great challenges in water management. In this regard, 80% of wastewater is discharged into water sources without any treatment, thus ignoring the fundamental right of access to water and sanitation and its implications for the well-being and development of populations. Colombia since the 50's began the strategy of improving water and sanitation. Seven decades of design and implementation of policies in favor of the expansion of coverage in aqueduct, sewerage and sanitation services, with significant advances for aqueduct and sewerage services and with great challenges facing the need to focus and optimize efforts to be more efficient and make the sanitation. The study and understanding of sustainable basic sanitation was carried out through the search for secondary information carried out in sectoral reports and research documents, where factors that positively or negatively affected the provision of the sanitation service were identified. On the other hand, the understanding of the social and political dynamics of the territory allows in the context of the city of Manizales to identify and analyze the perceptions from the three pillars of sustainability, natural environment, social environment and economic environment of two interest groups in the company Aguas de Manizales SA ESP, provider of the aqueduct and sewerage service in the city, through the application of a user survey and the carrying out of focus groups with institutions and community leaders. Lastly, solutions and strategies are proposed that eliminate causes or reduce the impacts that make it impossible to consolidate the public sanitation service or to maintain it over time.