In much of coastal Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, there is simply no public water network to connect to. The legal alternative is a water concession: a government-granted right to extract water from a well, spring or stream, issued by MINAE's Water Directorate.
The process requires real engineering: a hydrogeological study of the source, pumping tests (24 to 72 hours under official guidelines), georeferenced plans, and a properly assembled file. In protected aquifer zones, SENARA also intervenes.
The most expensive mistake is drilling first and asking later. An unpermitted well can be sealed, fined, and — worse for a developer — it cannot support permits or financing. The viability assessment must come first.
Timeline expectations: a clean, well-prepared concession file typically resolves in 8 to 18 months. A poorly prepared one can wander for years between corrections and re-filings.
Our track record: we obtained two groundwater concessions for a condominium project in Santa Teresa de Cóbano — one of the most water-stressed areas of the country — handling the hydrogeology, the pumping tests and the complete MINAE process.
If your property has no network nearby, do not despair and do not improvise. A source evaluation tells you whether a concession is viable before you spend serious money.
Is water blocking your project?
Tell us your case. The initial assessment is free, in English, no strings attached.