Quindio, Colombia

The water needed for a cup of coffee only ends with the small amount that you boil in your kettle. Each kilo of coffee requires around 40 litres of water during the processing stage when the shell of the coffee bean has to be softened and removed. And of course, water is consumed by the growing coffee trees in the first place. Because of the importance of an adequate water supply for crop processing, the National Coffee Committee in Colombia has been constructing and supporting water supply systems for mixed domestic use and coffee processing ever since it was created more than 50 years ago.

But do the laws in Colombia facilitate these multiple use water systems that supply water for both domestic and productive use? The Act 475/98 regulates water supply systems for domestic use and sets standards on the water quality that they must provide. Additionally, the Technical Norm RAS 2000 regulates the design of water supply and sewerage systems. Additionally, since 1994, Colombia has a general Act (142/94) on household services that covers water supply and treatment, sewerage and wastewater treatment, solid waste collection and disposal, telephone, and energy amongst others. According to this Act, only legal, registered organisations can provide household services and must fulfil the laws.

In Quindio, one of the most important coffee producing regions in Colombia, coffee committees have continued to manage water supply systems even after introduction of the Act 1592/94. But because of the large quantity of water needed for coffee processing, the water systems do not usually include treatment to reach the water quality standards specified in the Act 475/98. The systems also provide water for human consumption and coffee processing against the Technical Norm RAS 2000. Since the committees are associations of coffee entrepreneurs, they cannot become service providers because of their own rules and mission. So it was decided to declare these water systems as "industrial water supply systems". In this way, the systems avoid the requirement to fulfil the laws related to domestic water systems saying that the water systems are designed for industrial use. But of course, the systems are still used for human consumption.

A better legal solution needs to be found to encourage these systems which do a good job in providing domestic as well as productive water, but additional measures and support may be needed to help improve water quality.

For more information contact Ines Restrepo at inrestre@univalle.edu.co