Tómela con Confianza EMAPA-I and the State of Potable Water in Ibarra, Ecuador

Abstract

Potable water is an ongoing concern for Ecuadorians living in the highlands. Despite an abundant natural water supply from lakes and rivers, disparities exist in the distribution, quality and abundance of potable water in Ecuador’s urban and remote sectors. Specifically, this research investigates the state of the potable-water industry in Ibarra, a city located in Ecuador’s Sierra, or mountain, region. A publicly owned company by the name of Empresa Municipal de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de Ibarra (EMAPA-I) acts as the sole provider of potable water to the Ibarra’s residents. EMAPA-I essentially controls three types of sites relating to potable water — treatment plants, vertientes naturales (“natural springs”) and pozos profundos (“deep wells”) — and this research investigates and analyzes each, with the purpose of illustrating how untreated water is initially extracted from the earth, treated chemically and distributed to homes and businesses within the Ibarra cantón. The overall purpose of this research is to provide readers with an inside look at Ecuador’s approach to managing potable water, a basic service often taken for granted but one of undeniable importance for a healthy lifestyle.