(...)
- g)Directly administering and operating the water supply and sanitation systems throughout the country, which shall be gradually assumed considering convenience and resource availability. The systems currently administered and operated by municipal corporations may remain under their charge, as long as they provide efficient service. Under no circumstances may the administration of the water supply and sanitary sewerage systems of the Metropolitan Area be delegated.
Nor may the administration of systems for which there exists financial liability, and as long as this corresponds directly to the Institute, be delegated.
The institution is empowered to agree, with local bodies, on the administration of such services or to administer them through administrative boards of mixed integration between the Institute and the respective communities, whenever this is suitable for the better provision of services and in accordance with the respective regulations.
For the same reasons and with the same characteristics, regional administrative boards involving several municipalities may also be created.
In the case of local bodies that are constituted as Administrative Associations for Communal Water Systems (Asociaciones Administradoras de Acueductos Comunales, Asadas), under the terms of Law 218, Law of Associations, of August 8, 1939, and Law 8901, Law on the Minimum Percentage of Women that Must Integrate the Boards of Associations, Unions, and Solidarity Associations, of November 18, 2010, the Asadas must guarantee the right of voluntary association, respecting parity representation on the Board of Directors (Junta Directiva) in accordance with the law, except in cases where, due to inopia or lack of interest, such parity representation cannot be met. All associated persons shall have the right to participate in assemblies, to run for office, and to represent the association in the corresponding bodies. Likewise, they must ensure compliance with Law 6968, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, of October 2, 1984, and Law 7142, Law for the Promotion of the Social Equality of Women, of March 8, 1990.
Associated persons shall be understood as natural or legal persons, represented by their legal representative, nationals or foreigners with permanent residence, who are users with service in their name, in their capacity as owners or members of the family nucleus, demonstrated by means of an affidavit, usufructuaries, concessionaires, or legitimate possessors of the property where the potable water supply and wastewater sanitation service is located, who also complete their affiliation process. Natural persons may exercise the right of association voluntarily with a maximum of two persons per property, provided that at least one of the persons is a woman. Only one person per property may simultaneously hold a position on the Board of Directors. In the event that a person is the owner of two or more properties, they may only represent one of all the properties.
In the same manner, the Asadas shall gradually promote the participation, affiliation, and voluntary representation of young persons over 18 and under 35 years of age, users of the cited services, based on their real availability and without affecting the freedom of association or the operability of the Asada, in accordance with Law 8261, General Law of the Young Person, of May 2, 2002.
(...).
SOLE TRANSITIONAL PROVISION- Within a maximum period of six months, counted from the publication of this law, the Executive Branch shall regulate the provisions of subsection g) of Article 2 of Law 2726, Constitutive Law of the Costa Rican Institute of Water Supply and Sanitation Systems, of April 14, 1961.
It shall enter into force upon its publication.
Given at the Presidency of the Republic, San José, on the sixteenth day of the month of March of the year two thousand twenty-six.
LET IT BE EXECUTED AND PUBLISHED.