The measures have allowed SITRATA and SAPAF to lower operational costs and improve productivity. The immediate impact of increasing wastewater treatment coverage is a 40% reduction in GHG emissions, equivalent to 2,500 tons of CO2 per year.
In San Francisco del Rincón, two utility companies, SITRATA (Servicio de Tratamiento y Deposición de Aguas Residuales) and SAPAF (Sistema de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de San Francisco) are collaborating on projects to improve their services and lower their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. SITRATA manages wastewater, while SAPAF is responsible for drinking water and sewage.
With guidance from the Water and Wastewater Companies for Climate Mitigation (WaCCliM) project, both utilities have undertaken a strategising and implementation process similar to that proposed in the WaCCliM Roadmap to a Low-Carbon Urban Water Utility. As a result, SAPAF has increased wastewater treatment coverage from 48 per cent to 81 per cent, and improved the energy efficiency of its pumping stations. The magnitude of the increase in treatment coverage was by far the biggest achievement in GHG reduction.
This case study is part of a series in which the water–energy–climate nexus supports the transition towards a more sustainable and low-carbon urban management.
