Water Rates
The Regulatory Agency of Public Services (Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos), known locally by its Spanish acronym ARESEP, regulates and supervises the business of public service and utility providers on behalf of the public's interest.
read more closeThe ARESEP supervises that all public services are delivered in an optimum manner with quality, consistency, opportunity, trust and fair price. The public services under its umbrella are water, electricity, fuel, public transportation (taxi, bus, ship), postal services, and others.
The water prices are regulated by the ARESEP. ARESEP must approved any price increase or decrease.
Your water bill will consist of the following charges:
Water Consumption in cubic meters (see below tables)
Sewage Used (see below tables)
Use of Fire Hydrant Water in Your Area ($1.50USD)
Fee to Protect Water Resources (0.23 cents of a U.S. dollar)
Fixed Monthly Service Charge (see below tables)
Fixed Monthly Service Fee for Sewage (see below tables)
Value added tax, which is 13%
If you consume 36 cubic meters of water a month with a residential rate in the greater metropolitan area of San Jose, you will pay $86.24USD per month. (exchange rate 605.67 CRC, February 15, 2021).
Below you will find the rates of two services that generally come in your water bill. Water and Sewage.
2021 Water General Metered Services in U.S. dollars
Tier |
Residential |
Business |
Preferential |
Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 to less than 16 cubic meter |
0.53 |
1.27 |
0.53 |
1.27 |
16 to less than 26 cubic meters |
0.88 |
2.12 |
0.88 |
2.12 |
26 to less than 41 cubic meters |
0.88 |
2.12 |
0.97 |
2.12 |
41 to less than 61 cubic meters |
1.15 |
2.12 |
0.97 |
2.12 |
61 to less than 81 cubic meters |
2.12 |
2.12 |
1.06 |
2.12 |
81 to less than 101 cubic meters |
2.12 |
2.12 |
1.06 |
2.12 |
101 to less than 121 cubic meters |
2.12 |
2.12 |
1.06 |
2.12 |
121 cubic meters and over |
2.22 |
2.22 |
1.06 |
2.22 |
Fixed Monthly Rate |
16.47 |
34.38 |
56.53 |
34.38 |
Fixed Monthly Service Charge |
1.98 |
1.98 |
1.98 |
1.98 |
Notes:
Prices in U.S. dollars at a rate exchange of 605.67 CRC per dollar of February 15, 2021.
Rates are per cubic meter. A cubic meter has 35.314666721489 cubic feet.
You need to add the fixed monthly services to your consumption tier to get your total water consumption.
Source: Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP).
2021 Sewage Services in US dollars
Tier in Cubic Meters |
Residential |
Business |
Preferential |
|---|---|---|---|
0 to 15 |
0.53 |
1.26 |
0.53 |
16 to 25 |
0.87 |
2.09 |
0.87 |
26 to 40 |
0.87 |
2.09 |
0.96 |
41 to 60 |
1.14 |
2.09 |
0.96 |
61 to 80 |
2.09 |
2.09 |
1.05 |
81 to 100 |
2.09 |
2.09 |
1.05 |
101 to 120 |
2.09 |
2.09 |
1.05 |
120 and over |
2.20 |
2.20 |
1.05 |
Fixed Monthly Rate |
16.29 |
34.00 |
55.91 |
Fixed Monthly Service Charge |
1.98 |
1.98 |
1.98 |
Notes:
Prices in U.S. dollars at a rate exchange of 605.67 CRC per dollar of February 15, 2021.
Rates are per cubic meter. A cubic meter has 35.314666721489 cubic feet.
You need to add the fixed monthly services to your consumption tier to get your total water consumption.
Source: Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (ARESEP).