Colombia's EPM extends operation of Quibdó water services

Colombian multi-utility Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) signed an agreement to extend by a year a cooperation compendium inked in 2008 with the city of Quibdó EPQ, which is now in liquidation.

The agreement allows EPM to operate water and waste disposal services in the city, which is the capital of western Chocó department.

According to a press release from public services regulator Superservicios, the deal will allow EPM subsidiary Aguas Nacionales to operate the services until end-2019.

The agreement had been extended before, according to EPM's website.

Superservicios head Rutty Ortiz highlighted that, since EPM began operating Quibdó's water services "we went from having 5,840 users in 2008 to 12,800 by June 2018," while now all users have water 24 hours a day, when a decade ago the service was only available 1.5 hours per day.

The pipeline network in the city only covers 34% of the population but is expected to reach 85% thanks to a 96bn-peso (US$33mn) investment by EPM, Ortiz added.

EPQ has been in a liquidation process ordered by Superservicios since 2005 due to "repeated infringement of its financial obligations, deficient provision of pipeline, sewerage and cleaning services ... not providing financial information in time, lack of water quality programs and a 67-day workers' strike, " according to documents from the Quibdó city government.