Photo by Marvin Castillo

The Ministry of Health is giving the Nosara ASADA until February 21, 2013 to comply with the sanitary order issued on January 9 to obtain the functional sanitary permit. This order is the result of the physical sanitary inspection conducted on November 16 as a result of suspicion that the water was causing symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting suffered by students at Serapio Lopez School.  

The inspection was conducted by the inspector Melvin Ruiz Molina, who determined that the supply system violates current legal standards, a situation that puts public health in danger. Therefore, they ordered the Water Administration Association (ASADA) of Nosara to go through the procedure to obtain the respective functional sanitary permit.  In addition, they should present an action plan with corrective measures and also present a report and laboratory analysis of the water source and supply network to ensure the water is safe for human consumption, including: fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, turbidity, color, taste, temperature, PH and free and combined residual chlorine.

The sanitary order clarifies that if the ASADA does not comply with the request within the designated period, the establishment will be temporarily shut down, based on article 50 of the political constitution.

Concerned about the situation, the new board of directors met with members of the Nosara Development Association on Saturday, January 19 to request permission to install four plastic tanks with a capacity of 10,000 liters each, next to the metallic supply tank on property owned by the Development Association. The idea is to get the new tanks running and then repair the old one, thereby duplicating capacity
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These tanks were donated by AyA (Aqueducts and Sewers) after the earthquake that affected the area on September 5, 2012. They have been at the ASADA facilities in Arenales for about a month, but the process of installing these huge tanks and getting them functioning is no easy task.  They need to contract a builder to make the base where the tanks will be mounted, as well as prepare the land, cut trees and make an access to the mound and put up a protective fence around the area. Heavy machinery and tubing are also required.
  
According to Christoph Hubmann, president of the ASADA, they already have endorsement for the installation but suspect that they won’t be able to comply with all of the requirements requested by the Ministry of Health in time. In addition, although the ASADA has some of its own funds available, they don’t yet have a budget estimate for the project so Hubmann isn’t sure the money will be enough. 

Therefore any collaboration would be appreciated.

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