Flagship project
Reducing Water Losses and Energy Use in Costa Rica
Costa Rica's RANC-EE project combines water-loss reduction, energy efficiency and utility improvement to make urban water systems more economical and resource-efficient.
AyA can lower the cost of producing and distributing water by reducing leakage and inefficient pumping. Customers may receive more reliable service as pressure on available supply declines, and fewer losses mean that less water must be abstracted and treated unnecessarily. Better monitoring allows problems to be located earlier. Lower physical and commercial losses strengthen utility performance, conserve water and reduce the energy burden of delivering every cubic metre.
The challenge
High levels of non-revenue water and inefficient pumping increase costs and place unnecessary pressure on Costa Rica's water resources and utility systems. Water that is produced but never billed and electricity consumed inefficiently weaken utility finances while reducing the resources available for reliable services and future investment.
Our goal
The RANC-EE project reduces non-revenue water and excessive energy consumption across systems operated by AyA. It seeks to lower avoidable operating costs, protect scarce water resources and give the utility stronger monitoring, procurement and management tools for sustaining efficiency improvements across its networks.
Our approach
Baseline diagnostics establish current performance, followed by detailed analysis of water losses and energy use. Audits identify efficiency opportunities and an action plan sets priorities. Utility reform and procurement support address institutional and investment requirements, while network monitoring and consumption profilers provide the data needed to detect problems and track change.
Key highlights
- The project joins hydraulic and energy performance within one utility-improvement programme.
- It will deliver quantified baselines, loss and energy findings, a prioritised action plan, monitoring systems and targeted equipment.
- Reform and procurement support help AyA act on the technical evidence instead of leaving recommendations without an implementation route.
Success story
When treated water leaks from a network, the utility loses both the resource and the energy used to move it. Costa Rica's project makes that connection visible. Diagnostics show where performance is weakest, water-loss analysis identifies priority areas and energy audits reveal inefficient operation. Monitoring and consumption profilers give AyA a clearer picture of what is happening within the system, while the action plan and procurement support provide a route to improvement. The intended benefit reaches customers and the environment: more dependable service, lower operating pressure and better stewardship of water. For the utility, success also means building a habit of managing networks through evidence and timely intervention.