Costa Rica court mandates water sources cleanup

The fourth constitutional chamber of Costa Rica ruled in favor of an appeal that mandates some government entities to clean up six water sources in Río Cuarto canton, Alajuela province. The sources were polluted with Bromacil, a pesticide that was widely used in the area.

National water and sewerage utility AyA, the administrative environment court, the ministries of health, environment and energy (Minae) and agriculture (MAG), and state phytosanitary service SFE must all act due to the ruling, local paper La Nación reported.

Local water and sewerage associations claim according to the appeal that these government entities failed to address the pollution, even though they have been aware of relevant complaints.

The government agencies will now be tasked with cleaning up the sources supplying water to the localities of Santa Rita, La Tabla, and Santa Isabel. Although the move will be a joint effort, the health ministry will create and oversee the project.