For the purposes of this Regulation, the following shall be understood as:
Collective supply (Abastecimiento colectivo): When from one connection, water is provided to more than one consumption unit (unidad de consumo).
Individual supply (Abastecimiento individual): When from one connection, water is provided to a single consumption unit (unidad de consumo).
Water service connection (Acometida de agua): Length of pipe installed from the distribution network to the installation point of the service connection; it reaches up to the property line (límite de propiedad).
Sanitary sewerage service connection (Acometida de alcantarillado sanitario): Length of pipe installed from the collection network to the outlet fitting of the siphon box (caja sifón).
Aqueduct or aqueduct system: A system whose objective is to capture, purify, store, and distribute potable water for the purpose of providing it to a specific population center. It includes the water resource source and the physical infrastructure works. It consists of the following stages:
- a)Production (environmental management, capture and conveyance, and purification).
- b)Distribution (storage, distribution networks, residential connections, water meters (hidrómetros)); and c) Commercialization (consumption measurement, meter reading, billing (facturación), collection, and activities related to user service) Potable water (Agua potable): Treated water that complies with the provisions for recommended or maximum admissible aesthetic, organoleptic, physical, chemical, biological, and microbiological values, established in the Potable Water Quality Regulation. Established in the current Regulation for the Provision of Aqueduct, Sanitary Sewerage, and Hydrant Services, AR-PSAYA-2015).
Wastewater (Agua residual): Water that has been used and has been contaminated with organic matter, chemical substances, or suspended solids. To be received into the public sanitary sewerage system, it must comply with the environmental regulations dictated by other competent authorities.
Special type wastewater (Agua residual de tipo especial): Wastewater of a type different from ordinary.
Ordinary type wastewater (Agua residual de tipo ordinario): Wastewater generated by domestic human activities (use of toilets, showers, washbasins, sinks, laundry, etc.).
Sanitary sewerage (Alcantarillado sanitario): Public network of pipes used to collect and transport wastewater to its treatment and disposal point. This concept is understood as synonymous with collection network or system.
High Consumption (Alto Consumo): That which exceeds 100% of the subscriber's normal average consumption, over the last twelve months.
Payment arrangement (Arreglo de pago): Agreement between parties, (ESPH S.A. and the owner or user) in which both agree that the former's debt will be covered in installments, whose amounts and terms are established according to the convenience and procedures established by the ESPH S.A.
Siphon Box (Caja Sifón): Underground container generally built on the sidewalk and used to interconnect the wastewater from the property with the operating sanitary collection network. It also serves the function of eliminating odors towards the interior of the property, as well as facilitating unblocking tasks.
Public street or thoroughfare (Calle o vía pública): Any access under public domain for the free transit of persons and/or vehicles.
Hydraulic capacity (Capacidad hidráulica): Corresponds to the condition of the installed infrastructure of the supply and wastewater systems to convey the flows for the provision of services.
Water resource capacity (Capacidad hídrica): Existing condition of technical and administrative feasibility (factibilidad técnica y administrativa) for the exploitation of potable water for supply by the ESPH S.A.
Collection capacity (Capacidad de recolección): Existing condition of technical and administrative feasibility for the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater by the ESPH S.A.
Reading cycle (Ciclo de lectura): Period of time between two consecutive readings of a meter, ranging between twenty-seven and thirty-three calendar days, and up to sixty calendar days in the case of bimonthly reading.
Wastewater capacity certification (Certificación de capacidad de aguas residuales): The ESPH S.A. will determine upon a service request whether or not there is capacity.
Client (Cliente): Natural and/or legal person who legitimately uses the services provided by the ESPH S.A. or the operator of the delegated systems. Used synonymously with user (usuario).
Connection (Conexión): Union of the public water supply or wastewater system with the private system.
Cross connections (Conexiones cruzadas): Interconnection of systems (water, wastewater, storm drainage water, non-potable industrial water or others) that put the water system, the integrity of the wastewater system, and the stormwater system at risk of contamination.
Fraudulent connection (Conexión fraudulenta): A connection that, having been suspended, connects to the water and/or wastewater systems without the authorization of the ESPH S.A.; or that while active is detected using a means that allows falsifying the actual consumption of the service.
Unauthorized or illicit connection (Conexión no autorizada o ilícita): Connection made by third parties to the water and/or wastewater systems, without the due authorization of the ESPH S.A.
Consumption (Consumo): Volume of water that a user utilizes in a determined period of time.
Normal consumption (Consumo normal): Consumption of the service free from distortions carried out during a reading cycle.
Normal average consumption (Consumo promedio normal): The average of a user's normal consumption levels recorded in the last 12 months.
Service continuity (Continuidad del servicio): A quality of the service indicating the time of uninterrupted service during a determined period.
Vegetative growth (Crecimiento vegetativo): Corresponds to the increase of new services for a dwelling or a business on an individual property with water consumption less than or equal to one equivalent service (servicio equivalente) and up to four subdivisions (fraccionamientos) of the property and with frontage on a public street or access easement (servidumbre de acceso), where distribution and/or collection networks exist. Urban developments (desarrollos urbanísticos) do not correspond to this concept. In any case, the monthly water consumption shall not exceed four equivalent services.
Wastewater spill (Derrame de aguas residuales): Release of wastewater from the sanitary sewerage system.
Service availability report or certification (Dictamen o certificación de disponibilidad de servicios): Pronouncement by which a service provider communicates to an interested third party the capacity of its systems (aqueduct, sanitary sewerage, and hydrants) to supply the consumption of new subscribers.
Water service availability (Disponibilidad de servicio de agua): Real and current existence, not future or potential, of the necessary global works and infrastructure and water resource and hydraulic capacity for supply to meet the service needs of a determined population.
Suitable document (Documento idóneo): Reference sketch and location of the property, deed, document used to prove, confirm, or justify some information, which must be adjusted for the specific case, according to the application of the principle of reasonableness and logic.
Branch extension (Extensión de ramal): Increase in length of a segment of the aqueduct network and/or collection system to a determined point.
Technical feasibility (Factibilidad técnica): Study to verify that a determined action is possible to carry out under the right conditions. It is an evaluation that demonstrates that the activity can be started and maintained, showing evidence that it has been carefully planned, contemplating the problems it involves and keeping it in operation.
Administrative feasibility (Factibilidad Administrativa): Refers to the availability of the necessary resources to carry out the stated objectives or goals.
Invoice (Factura): Printed or digital document issued periodically by the operator, showing the concepts, consumption, due date, amounts to be charged for the services provided, and among others, information of interest to the user. It may also present information on overdue accounts receivable.
Billing (Facturación): Process by which the concepts, volumes, and amounts to be paid by the user are determined.
Subdivision (Fraccionamiento): The division of any property (inmueble) for the purpose of selling, transferring, negotiating, distributing, exploiting, or using the resulting parcels separately; it includes both partitions by judicial or extrajudicial adjudication, localizations of undivided rights, and mere segregations held by the same owner, as well as those located in urbanizations or new constructions that are of interest for the control of the formation and urban use of real estate.
Leak (Fuga): Escape of water in the distribution networks or water installations.
KPa, Kilopascal: Unit of measurement for atmospheric pressure, equivalent to one thousand Pascals (1000 Pascals).
Hydrant (Hidrante): A hydrant is understood as the emergency and fire-fighting device or water intake, designed to provide a considerable flow in case of fire, located at strategic points on the public or private thoroughfare, duly equipped according to the technical provisions issued by the Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica and that is duly connected and in operation with the potable water network system on the public or private thoroughfare; where the Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica or the public or private administrator and operator entity of the aqueduct and sewerage system, according to the area of competence, can use it in case of imminent risk or emergency.
Water meter (Hidrómetro): Device or instrument intended to measure and record the volume of water.
Property (Inmueble): Duly individualized land that registers one or several owners.
Technical inspections for supplies (Inspecciones técnicas por abastecimientos): Review that the operator carries out, at the request of the user or ex officio, to verify the use of the service and its basic data.
Connection installation (Instalación de conexión): Action that is completed when the connection located on private property is physically integrated into the operator's system.
Internal installations (Instalaciones internas): Mechanical installations for water supply and wastewater located within the property.
Technical inspection (Inspección técnica): Specialized review carried out by the ESPH S.A. or the operator regarding the operation and use of the water, wastewater, and measurement systems, located on public thoroughfares, in rights of way (servidumbres de paso), or on private properties and buildings, as established in Article 5, subsection i) of the Constitutive Law of AyA (Law No. 2726).
Interconnection (Interconexión): Connection of new systems, infrastructure, and urban developments that comply with current technical regulations, to the distribution and collection systems operated by the ESPH S.A. or the operator for the enabling of water and wastewater services.
Property line for water service (Límite de propiedad para el servicio de agua): Corresponds to the part of the boundary line of the property or the access easement to this property, opposite the point where the meter providing the water service is located. In the case of properties located facing a public thoroughfare or a step and pipeline easement (servidumbre de paso y tubería), constituted in favor of the ESPH S.A., it corresponds to the boundary line of the property or the subsidiary estate. In the case of properties located facing access easements, it corresponds to the frontage of this easement with the public thoroughfare.
Property line for sanitary sewerage service (Límite de propiedad para el servicio de alcantarillado Sanitario): Corresponds to the limit of the public sanitary sewerage service provided by the ESPH S.A. It is established at the pipe segment where the siphon-equipped inspection box (caja de registro con sifón) located on the sidewalk begins; it is understood that the inspection box is the property of the service holder, who is therefore responsible for its maintenance.
Unauthorized water bypass (Paso alterno de agua no autorizado or bypass): Unauthorized water connection mechanism, used to falsify the consumption recorded on the meter.
Manhole or inspection hole (Pozo de registro o inspección): Structure with access and cover used for inspection and maintenance of the collection systems. Used when there are changes in direction, slope, or diameter, and confluence of several pipes.
Possessor (Poseedor): Person who performs stable and effective acts of possession, peacefully, publicly, and uninterruptedly, as owner for more than one year on properties not registered by the Public Registry.
Provider (Prestador): Refers to the provider of the service in question, normally the ESPH S.A.
Water stub (Prevista agua): Length of pipe installed from the distribution network to the point for the service connection; it reaches up to the property line, which has not been connected to the internal installations of the property.
Sanitary sewerage stub (Prevista alcantarillado sanitario): Length of pipe installed from the collection network to serve the property but which has not been connected to the siphon box.
Probate process (Proceso sucesorio): Legal Process in judicial or notarial venue, whose purpose is the liquidation and partition of inheritance assets, prior to their determination and that of the persons among whom they are to be distributed.
Owner (Propietario): Natural or legal person who exercises dominion over real estate backed by an enabling title, duly registered in the Public Registry.
Urban development project (Proyecto de desarrollo urbanístico): Infrastructure project for urban purposes, built on opened spaces (urbanizations, condominiums, shopping centers, residential or office towers, among other infrastructures), intended to meet the needs of the population where water and wastewater services will exist.
Volumetric Test (Prueba Volumétrica): Review carried out on the meter in order to verify the correct recording of the water volume. Corresponds to the technical procedure by which a meter is subjected to different water flows, making a comparison between the recorded volume and a reference standard, in order to obtain the respective error percentages.
Works reception (Recepción de obras): Action resulting from approving and receiving or transferring water or wastewater works or infrastructure; built by a private party and which becomes the property of the ESPH S.A., once technical and legal compliance with the requested requirements has been verified.
Networks (Redes): System of pipes for water distribution and wastewater collection.
Public network (Red pública): System of water or wastewater collection pipes owned by the ESPH S.A.
Supply service (Servicio de abastecimiento): Corresponds to the water supply for human consumption provided by the ESPH S.A.; also called water service (servicio de agua).
Wastewater service (Servicio de aguas residuales): Corresponds to the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater.
Equivalent service (Servicio equivalente): Corresponds to the water consumption or wastewater contribution of a single-family dwelling. The water consumption or wastewater contribution that is not for a single-family dwelling shall be determined using the equivalency table defined in the procedures manual.
Hydrant service (Servicio de hidrantes): Maintenance, operation, and development of the hydrant networks for fire-fighting attention, in the service of the Cuerpo de Bomberos.
Provisional service (Servicio provisional): A service that, due to the nature of the activity, is provided for a determined period and which will subsequently become a permanent service.
Temporary service (Servicio temporal): A service that, due to the nature of the activity, is provided for a determined period.
Public servant (Servidor público): That individual who provides services to the Public Administration or on behalf of and for the account thereof, as part of its organization, by virtue of a valid and effective act of investiture.
Public access easement (Servidumbre de acceso público): Real right of ingress or transit of pedestrians and/or vehicles in favor of public entities and over another's property. It implies for its owner a limitation on the full exercise of the attributes of the property right, without the portion of land thereby losing its condition of private property.
De facto easement (Servidumbre de hecho): That established over a property by force of use and custom, tolerated by the owner of the property, without formal imposition by law or formal act of constitution through public deed.
Private right of way (Servidumbre de paso privada): Real right of ingress and transit of pedestrians and/or vehicles for the benefit of one or several estates, and over another's property. It implies for its owner a limitation on the full exercise of the attributes of the property right, without the portion of land thereby losing its condition of private property.
Step and pipeline easement (Servidumbre de paso y tubería): Real right to install water and/or sanitary sewerage pipes over another's property, for the operation, administration, and maintenance by the ESPH S.A. It implies permanent and continuous utility of the access for the fulfillment of its public purpose, as well as a limit on the exercise of the property right by its owner.
Registered step and pipeline easement (Servidumbre de paso y tubería inscrita): An easement that is duly registered over one or several properties in the Property Registry.
Wastewater system (Sistema de aguas residuales): Set of works that include at least the civil and electromechanical components necessary for the collection, treatment, and reuse of ordinary type wastewater. Private treatment and disposal systems for wastewater are not considered within this concept.
Treatment system (Sistema de tratamiento): Set of physical, chemical, or biological processes, whose purpose is to improve the quality of raw wastewater before its disposal.
Internal property systems (Sistemas internos de la propiedad): The internal network and installations, both for water and sanitary sewerage, that are found within a property.
Private system (Sistema privado): Set of water and sanitary sewerage installations that is not administered by the ESPH S.A. or another public operator.
Public system (Sistema público): Set of water and sanitary sewerage installations administered and operated by the ESPH S.A.
Connection requests (Solicitudes de conexión): Formality, petition, or action made by the interested party in order to obtain a service for their enjoyment.
Service suspension (Suspensión del servicio): Action that allows interrupting the provision of water supply services, due to non-payment or for reasons inherent to the operation of the service.
Rate (Tarifa): List or catalog of prices that must be paid for the provision of a service.
Consumption unit (Unidad de consumo): Each of the dwelling, commercial, industrial, or other units, which have their own water and sanitary sewerage installations and that receive the services provided by the service provider.
Urbanization (Urbanización): Subdivision and enabling of land for urban purposes, through the opening of streets and provision of services.
Water use (Uso de agua): Destination that the user gives to the water service.
User (Usuario): Natural and/or legal person who legitimately uses the services provided by the ESPH S.A. or the operator of the delegated systems.
Bulk water sale (Venta de agua en bloque): Modality of water sale to another provider, shipping companies operating legally in Costa Rica, and water sellers to third parties operating legally.
Prepaid water sale (Venta de agua pago anticipado): Corresponds to the sale of water volumes, previously and technically defined and paid for, upon the request of a user.
Service restriction zone (Zona de restricción de servicios): That zone where the granting of services is limited, normally temporarily, through laws, regulations, or agreements based on technical studies, which classify and delineate geographical areas, according to the availability of infrastructure and water resources.
GENERAL PROVISIONS Sole Section