Colombia

  General Information

Colombia faces challenges in managing its water and sanitation systems, traditionally dominated by “grey infrastructure.” Pressures from climate variability, deforestation, and unsustainable water use have revealed gaps in ensuring water security. Coastal municipalities, particularly in Atlántico and Córdoba, have struggled with untreated wastewater discharges, undermining marine ecosystems and exposing communities to health risks. 

In response, Colombia advanced reforms through its Master Plan for Water and Basic Sanitation 2018–2030, which emphasizes green infrastructure, cross-sectoral planning, and circular economy approaches such as water reuse. Yet, municipalities still lacked financing models and technical options tailored to rural and peri-urban settings. 

Through CReW+, Colombia completed diagnostic studies of its regulatory and tariff frameworks, helping to integrate environmental principles into water and sanitation tariffs. This work strengthened the sectors institutions and promoted incentives for efficient use and reuse of water. At the community level, the program developed the designs for the optimization and effluent reuse system at the San Antero wastewater treatment plant in Córdoba, introducing low-tech, innovative solutions to reduce pollution and support local agriculture. The project also provided legal and technical advisory support to the San Antero municipality for the evaluation of its contract with Aqualia, strengthening municipal management and service sustainability. These actions created replicable models of circular economy in wastewater management, linking national reforms with community-level benefits.