{ "id": "nexus-ext-1-0034-127389", "citation": "Res. 00128-2009 Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección II", "section": "nexus_decisions", "doc_type": "court_decision", "title_es": "Competencia sobre ASADAs: AyA, no la municipalidad", "title_en": "Jurisdiction over ASADAs: AyA, not the municipality", "summary_es": "El Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo, Sección II, resuelve una apelación contra un acto de la Municipalidad de Cartago. La controversia gira en torno a la competencia para atender quejas sobre el servicio de agua potable brindado por una Asociación Administradora de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Comunales (ASADA). El Tribunal fundamenta su decisión en la doctrina constitucional del derecho fundamental al agua potable, derivado de los derechos a la salud, la vida y un ambiente sano, reconocido también internacionalmente. Asimismo, examina la evolución histórica de los servicios de agua en Costa Rica, desde su manejo municipal original hasta la nacionalización del servicio mediante la creación del Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA). Destaca que la Asamblea Legislativa, en ejercicio de su potestad constitucional, puede transferir competencias locales a instituciones nacionales cuando el interés público lo requiere, sin violar la autonomía municipal. Las ASADAs, como entes delegatarios del AyA, carecen de vínculo formal con las municipalidades; su supervisión y control corresponden exclusivamente al AyA. En consecuencia, se confirma el acto recurrido: la Municipalidad de Cartago no es competente para conocer inconformidades sobre el servicio prestado por la ASADA Paéz de Oreamuno, pues dicha competencia recae en el AyA.", "summary_en": "The Administrative Appeals Court, Section II, resolves an appeal against an act of the Municipality of Cartago. The dispute concerns which authority is competent to handle complaints about the drinking water service provided by a Communal Water and Sanitation Administration Association (ASADA). The Court bases its decision on the constitutional doctrine of the fundamental right to drinking water, derived from the rights to health, life, and a healthy environment, also recognized internationally. It reviews the historical evolution of water services in Costa Rica, from their original municipal management to the nationalization of the service through the creation of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA). The Court stresses that the Legislative Assembly, exercising its constitutional power, may transfer local competencies to national institutions when the public interest requires it, without violating municipal autonomy. ASADAs, as entities delegated by AyA, have no formal link with municipalities; their supervision and control rest solely with AyA. Consequently, the appealed act is upheld: the Municipality of Cartago lacks jurisdiction to address complaints about the service provided by the ASADA Paéz de Oreamuno, since such jurisdiction belongs to AyA.", "court_or_agency": "Tribunal Contencioso Administrativo Sección II", "date": "2009", "year": "2009", "topic_ids": [ "water-law" ], "primary_topic_id": null, "es_concept_hints": [ "ASADA", "AyA", "nacionalización del servicio", "interés nacional", "Protocolo de San Salvador", "Ley 2726", "autonomía municipal" ], "concept_anchors": [ { "article": "Art. 2 inciso g", "law": "Ley 2726" }, { "article": "Art. 121 inciso 1", "law": "Constitución Política" }, { "article": null, "law": "Decreto Ejecutivo 32529-S-MINAE" } ], "keywords_es": [ "ASADA", "AyA", "acueducto comunal", "servicio de agua potable", "competencia municipal", "autonomía municipal", "nacionalización del agua", "derecho fundamental al agua", "delegación de servicio público", "Ley 2726", "Asociación Administradora de Acueductos Comunales" ], "keywords_en": [ "ASADA", "AyA", "communal aqueduct", "drinking water service", "municipal jurisdiction", "municipal autonomy", "nationalization of water", "fundamental right to water", "public service delegation", "Law 2726", "Communal Water Administration Association" ], "excerpt_es": "V.- En el caso concreto, de acuerdo con el oficio GPJM-157-2004, fechado 18 de mayo de 2004, los vecinos de la localidad, constituyeron la Asociación Administradora de Acueductos y Alcantarillado Sanitario Paéz de Oreamuno, bajo el auspicio del Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, puesto que ahí se indica que dicha entidad les ha otorgado identificaciones. Siendo así, lleva razón la Municipalidad de Cartago, en el sentido de que cualquier disconformidad con el servicio de agua potable que brinda dicha Asociación, compete conocerla y evaluarla al Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado y no a ese gobierno local, lo que conlleva a confirmar el acto apelado.\n\nIV.- Las Asociaciones Administradoras de Acueductos Comunales (ASADAs), son entidades conformadas por vecinos, formalmente constituidas con personería jurídica propia y encargadas de administrar el acueducto de su comunidad mediante la delegación por parte de Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, conforme a lo dispuesto en el artículo 2 inciso g) de su Ley Constitutiva, que le permite delegar la administración, operación y mantenimiento de los sistemas de acueductos y alcantarillados, en organizaciones debidamente constituidas para tal efecto. Las ASADAs sustituyeron a los antiguos Comités Administradores de Acueductos, y tienen plena responsabilidad para captar y distribuir el agua que consume la comunidad, construir y mantener la infraestructura necesaria, cobrar por el servicio brindado y manejar los ingresos recaudados. Por otra parte, los Acueductos Comunales no tienen vínculos formales con los gobiernos municipales de su cantón, ya que es el Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados quien supervisa las operaciones y fiscaliza la gestión de las Asociaciones dichas.", "excerpt_en": "V.- In the specific case, according to official communication GPJM-157-2004 dated May 18, 2004, the residents of the locality formed the Paéz de Oreamuno Communal Water and Sanitary Sewer Administration Association, under the auspices of the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers, since it is indicated that this entity has granted them identifications. Therefore, the Municipality of Cartago is correct in stating that any dissatisfaction with the drinking water service provided by said Association must be heard and evaluated by the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers and not by that local government, which leads to upholding the appealed act.\n\nIV.- The Communal Water Administration Associations (ASADAs) are entities made up of residents, formally established with their own legal personality and responsible for administering the aqueduct of their community through delegation by the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers, in accordance with the provisions of article 2, subsection g) of its Constitutive Law, which allows it to delegate the administration, operation, and maintenance of aqueduct and sewer systems to organizations duly constituted for that purpose. ASADAs replaced the former Aqueduct Administration Committees, and have full responsibility for capturing and distributing the water consumed by the community, building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure, charging for the service provided, and managing the collected revenues. Furthermore, the Communal Aqueducts have no formal links with the municipal governments of their canton, since it is the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers that supervises operations and oversees the management of said Associations.", "outcome": { "label_en": "Appealed act upheld", "label_es": "Confirma acto apelado", "summary_en": "The Court upheld the Municipality of Cartago's decision to decline jurisdiction over a complaint about an ASADA's water service, ruling that AyA is the competent authority.", "summary_es": "El Tribunal confirma la decisión de la Municipalidad de Cartago de inhibirse de conocer una queja sobre el servicio de agua de una ASADA, al determinar que la competencia corresponde al AyA." }, "pull_quotes": [ { "context": "Considerando III, citando Sentencia 4654-2003", "quote_en": "The Chamber recognizes, as part of Constitutional Law, a fundamental right to drinking water, derived from the fundamental rights to health, life, a healthy environment, food, and decent housing, among others...", "quote_es": "La Sala reconoce, como parte del Derecho de la Constitución, un derecho fundamental al agua potable, derivado de los derechos fundamentales a la salud, la vida, al medio ambiente sano, a la alimentación y la vivienda digna, entre otros..." }, { "context": "Considerando IV", "quote_en": "ASADAs... have no formal links with the municipal governments of their canton, since it is the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers that supervises operations and oversees the management of said Associations.", "quote_es": "Las ASADAs... no tienen vínculos formales con los gobiernos municipales de su cantón, ya que es el Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados quien supervisa las operaciones y fiscaliza la gestión de las Asociaciones dichas." }, { "context": "Considerando V", "quote_en": "Therefore, the Municipality of Cartago is correct in stating that any dissatisfaction with the drinking water service provided by said Association must be heard and evaluated by the Costa Rican Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers and not by that local government...", "quote_es": "Siendo así, lleva razón la Municipalidad de Cartago, en el sentido de que cualquier disconformidad con el servicio de agua potable que brinda dicha Asociación, compete conocerla y evaluarla al Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado y no a ese gobierno local..." } ], "cites": [], "cited_by": [], "references": { "internal": [ { "target_id": "norm-37097", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley 2726 Art. 2 inciso g" }, { "target_id": "norm-55240", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Decreto Ejecutivo 32529-S-MINAE" } ], "external": [] }, "source_url": "https://nexuspj.poder-judicial.go.cr/document/ext-1-0034-127389", "tier": 2, "_editorial_citation_count": 0, "regulations_by_article": null, "amendments_by_article": null, "dictamen_by_article": null, "concordancias_by_article": null, "afectaciones_by_article": null, "resoluciones_by_article": null, "cited_by_votos": [], "cited_norms": [], "cited_norms_inverted": [ { "doc_id": "norm-37097", "norm_num": "2726", "norm_name": "Ley Constitutiva del Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "14/04/1961" }, { "doc_id": "norm-45511", "norm_num": "29100", "norm_name": "Reglamento de las ASADAS", "tipo_norma": "Decreto Ejecutivo", "norm_fecha": "09/11/2000" }, { "doc_id": "norm-55240", "norm_num": "32529", "norm_name": "Reglamento de las ASADAS", "tipo_norma": "Decreto Ejecutivo", "norm_fecha": "02/02/2005" }, { "doc_id": "norm-6825", "norm_num": "1634", "norm_name": "Ley General de Agua Potable", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "18/09/1953" } ], "sentencias_relacionadas": [], "temas_y_subtemas": [], "cascade_only": false, "amendment_count": 0, "body_es_text": "“III.- En reiteradas resoluciones, la Sala Constitucional ha considerado que, como parte del Derecho de la Constitución, existe un derecho fundamental al agua potable : \n\n“(…) V.- La Sala reconoce, como parte del Derecho de la Constitución, un derecho fundamental al agua potable, derivado de los derechos fundamentales a la salud, la vida, al medio ambiente sano, a la alimentación y la vivienda digna, entre otros, tal como ha sido reconocido también en instrumentos internacionales sobre Derechos Humanos aplicables en Costa Rica: así, figura explícitamente en la Convención sobre la Eliminación de todas las formas de discriminación contra la mujer (art. 14) y la Convención sobre los Derechos del Niño (art. 24); además, se enuncia en la Conferencia Internacional sobre Población y el Desarrollo de El Cairo (principio 2), y se declara en otros numerosos del Derecho Internacional Humanitario. En nuestro Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos, el país se encuentra particularmente obligado en esta materia por lo dispuesto en el artículo 11.1 del Protocolo Adicional a la Convención Americana sobre Derechos Humanos en Materia de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales (\"Protocolo de San Salvador\" de 1988), el cual dispone que: \n\n‘Artículo 11. Derecho a un medio ambiente sano 1. Toda persona tiene derecho a vivir en un medio ambiente sano y a contar con servicios públicos básicos’. \n\nAdemás, recientemente, el Comité de Derechos Económicos, Culturales y Sociales de la ONU reiteró que disponer de agua es un derecho humano que, además de ser imprescindible para llevar una vida saludable, es un requisito para la realización de todos los demás derechos humanos. \n\nVI.- Del anterior marco normativo se deriva una serie de derechos fundamentales ligados a la obligación del Estado de brindar los servicios públicos básicos, que implican, por una parte, que no puede privarse ilegítimamente de ellos a las personas, pero que, como en el caso del agua potable, no puede sostenerse la titularidad de un derecho exigible por cualquier individuo para que el Estado le suministre el servicio público de agua potable, en forma inmediata y dondequiera que sea, sino que, en la forma prevista en el mismo Protocolo de San Salvador, esta clase de derechos obligan a los Estados a adoptar medidas, conforme lo dispone el artículo primero del mismo Protocolo: \n\n‘Los Estados Partes en el presente Protocolo Adicional a la Convención Americana sobre Derechos Humanos se comprometen a adoptar las medidas necesarias tanto de orden interno como mediante la cooperación entre los Estados, especialmente económica y técnica, hasta el máximo de los recursos disponibles y tomando en cuenta su grado de desarrollo, a fin de lograr progresivamente, y de conformidad con la legislación interna, la plena efectividad de los derechos que se reconocen en el presente Protocolo’. \n\nDe esto tampoco puede interpretarse que ese derecho fundamental a los servicios públicos no tenga exigibilidad concreta; por el contrario, cuando razonablemente el Estado deba brindarlos, los titulares del derecho pueden exigirlo y no pueden las administraciones públicas o, en su caso, los particulares que los presten en su lugar, escudarse en presuntas carencias de recursos, que ha sido la secular excusa pública para justificar el incumplimiento de sus cometidos.” (Sentencia 4654-2003 de las 15:44 horas del 27 de mayo de 2003). \n\n \n\nPor otra parte, también el Tribunal Constitucional, ha establecido que el Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados puede asumir la administración de acueductos en poder las Municipalidades, por deficiencia en el servicio. En voto No. 5606- 2006, expresó:\n\n“VI-. Autonomía municipal y servicio de agua potable. Precisamente, en el caso del agua, los antecedentes refieren que el servicio, originalmente había sido dado a las Municipalidades por la Ley General de Agua Potable, N° 1634 de 18 de setiembre de 1953, (artículo 5) y posteriormente al crearse el Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado, esa función, pasa a esta Institución según la redacción del artículo 2: \n\n\"El original artículo 2 inciso h) de la ley 2726 de 14 de abril de 1961, dispuso como una atribución del Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados: \n\n'Elaborar las tasas y tarifas para los servicios públicos objeto de la presente ley, que se presten en el país por empresas públicas y privadas, con base en los principios de servicio al costo y de un porcentaje de utilidad para capitalización y desarrollo.(...) Las tasas y tarifas que el Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados elabore, serán \"autorizadas\" por el organismo que la ley indique.\" \n\nEl artículo 1 (*) le otorgaba la posibilidad de resolver todo lo relacionado con el suministro de agua potable y disposición de aguas negras y residuos industriales. (*) Este artículo ha sido reformado mediante Ley No. 5915 de 12 de julio de 1976 \n\nVeamos: \n\n“Con el objeto de dirigir, fijar políticas, establecer y aplicar normas, realizar y promover el planeamiento, financiamiento y desarrollo y de resolver todo lo relacionado con el suministro de agua potable y recolección y evacuación de aguas negras y residuos industriales líquidos, lo mismo que el aspecto normativo de los sistemas de alcantarillado pluvial en áreas urbanas, para todo el territorio nacional se crea el Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, como institución autónoma del Estado.” \n\nPor su parte, el artículo 2 señala que correspondía al Instituto (AYA): \n\na) Dirigir y vigilar todo lo concerniente para proveer a los habitantes de la república de un servicio de agua potable, recolección y evacuación de aguas negras y residuos industriales líquidos y de aguas pluviales en las áreas urbanas; \n\n... \n\nc) Promover la conservación de las cuencas hidrográficas y la protección ecológica, así como el control de la contaminación de las aguas; \n\nUn estudio del expediente legislativo de la Ley de creación del A y A antes SNEE deja claro que precisamente fueron los problemas relacionados con el abastecimiento de agua potable, aguas negras o servidas y pluviales en las distintas localidades del país, lo que motivó la nacionalización del servicio a través de la creación del AyA frente a la inercia municipal, (ver folio 108 y siguientes del expediente legislativo de la Ley N ° 2727), donde además se reconoce que el tema del agua no puede ser tratado como un tema territorial. Al respecto se señaló: \n\n“...no pueden resolverse adecuadamente [se refiere al agua] únicamente tomando en cuenta los intereses de una comunidad determinada, circunscrita a una jurisdicción territorial o administrativa concreta, por cuanto esos servicios afectan habitantes de muchas comunidades distintas y grandes extensiones del territorio, de tal suerte que unos servicios dependen invariablemente de los otros, haciéndose necesaria, en muchos casos, la interconexión de esos servicios. \n\nII.- Que las nacientes de aguas potables y las corrientes de los ríos que se usan para el abastecimiento de los sistemas de cañerías o para la evacuación de aguas negras o servidas, recorren grandes extensiones del territorio, por lo que no pueden utilizar parte de esas aguas, en determinado punto, sin afectar, a veces sustancialmente, todo el cauce y los intereses de las comunidades que el cauce de que se trate atraviese; por otra parte, la conducción de las aguas ya tratadas, por medio de acueductos, cloacas, alcantarillados, o corrientes de aguas al descubierto, se hace a través de varias jurisdicciones administrativas y territoriales, de donde se desprende la íntima relación que existe ente el interés de todas y cada una de las colectividades en la solución de estos problemas lo que, indudablemente, confiere alcance de interés nacional a cualquier proyecto que se elabore para dar solución adecuada a los problemas que se derivan de la captación, tratamiento y distribución de aguas potables, de aguas negras o servidas y de aguas pluviales. \n\nIII.- Que la solución con criterio nacional de estos problemas no sólo es conveniente desde el punto de vista sanitario, sino también desde el económico y administrativo, estando, al propio tiempo, en un todo de acuerdo con el ordenamiento constitucional y jurídico vigente. Sobre este mismo tema la Procuraduría en su oportunidad había señalado “que no existe ninguna razón de orden lógico ni jurídica para considerar que los servicios de agua, aunque hayan venido hasta hoy en poder de las Municipalidades, constituyan por esencia 'servicios locales' en el sentido del artículo 169 citado [se refiere al constitucional], y, en consecuencia, que no existe tampoco ningún obstáculo de orden constitucional para que una ley los integre en un programa y en una institución nacionales, como los proyectados, sin violar para nada la autonomía municipal que define el artículo 170. Al hacerlo, la Asamblea Legislativa estaría simplemente ejerciendo su potestad constitucional específica, superior y exclusiva de emitir leyes ( artículo 121, inc. 1), exceptuando al abastecimiento de agua, válida y justificadamente, del concepto de servicios locales y, por ende, de la jurisdicción municipal. Así se ha hecho antes con otros servicios de parecida o menor importancia, como los eléctricos, telefónicos, ferroviarios, portuarios y aéreos, sanitarios, etc\" . \n\nEsta misma tesis del interés nacional en la prestación eficiente del servicio de agua potable fue confirmada posteriormente por la Corte Plena , ejerciendo las funciones de juez constitucional, en la resolución que adoptó en la sesión extraordinaria del 17 de marzo de 1963, con motivo de un recurso de inconstitucionalidad que presentó la Municipalidad de Goicoechea contra la Ley 2726 que creó el Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillado (hoy AyA). \n\nEn lo que interesa, el voto de mayoría señala: \n\n“El reconocimiento que la Constitución de 1949 hizo de las Municipalidades como organismos autónomos encargados de la administración local, no elevó a éstas a la categoría de entes soberanos, ni quiso decir con ello que la actividad administrativa que atañe al Cantón debe ser atendido por la Municipalidad en forma exclusiva y con prescindencia de toda otra autoridad u organismo, sino que quedan sujetos a lo que las leyes dispongan en casos especiales. (…) El poder Legislativo puede mediante ley disponer, como lo ha hecho ahora, acerca del manejo de alguno o algunos de los negocios que hoy están bajo la administración de la Municipalidad. Considerar que el Poder Legislativo no puede variar o modificar nada de lo que está bajo el control y administración de las Municipalidades es como pensar que la soberanía no reside en la Nación (art. 2°), sino que hay partes del territorio que están sometidos a la soberanía exclusiva de la Municipalidad y que ésta es absoluta aun con perjuicio del Estado. Ha considerado el legislador que para el mejor servicio público, conviene crear un organismo especial que ha denominado “Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillado”, y cuya creación se ha hecho constar en la ley número 2726 de 14 de abril de 1961. Está dentro de las facultades de la Asamblea Legislativa dar esa ley que solamente viene a modificar un sistema por creerlo necesario en beneficio del público. (…). Si el servicio público exige por razones de orden técnico, económico o jurídico crear nuevas entidades, la Asamblea Legislativa podrá hacerlo encomendándole su desempeño, y si tal servicio ya existe a cargo de determinada institución, bien puede, por considerarlo así beneficioso, al nuevo organismo. (…) La Asamblea Legislativa tiene amplia facultad para crear cuantas entidades autónomas crea conveniente para el mejor servicio público”. Por su parte, el Magistrado Nombre7115 destacó: “Si una persona pública (municipio o ente autónomo), fuera tan independiente que el poder de la Asamblea Legislativa se detuviera ante ese muro de la autonomía, habría que convenir en que el Estado se ha despojado de su soberanía para otorgársela de igual a igual a la persona pública, o en otros términos, como dice Nombre71261, sería el caso de un Estado creado dentro de otro Estado. Es cierto que la autonomía concede al ente público completa independencia para actuar dentro de los límites de la competencia que le han otorgado la Constitución o las leyes en la administración de los servicios públicos descentralizados; lo mismo para darse el Gobierno interno que estime conveniente. Pero si esa competencia para la administración de los servicios descentralizados, no está fijada por la Constitución Política , si ella tiene origen en la disposición de la Asamblea Legislativa , con el poder que tuvo ésta para concederla, puede limitarla, suprimirla en todo o en parte o transferirla a otro ente público. Así lo pregona la doctrina de los más modernos autores que han tratado esta materia. (…) En Costa Rica, la competencia concedida a las Municipalidades para la administración (sólo para la administración) de los sistemas de aguas potables, está dispuesta por la Ley N ° 1634 de 18 de setiembre de 1953, en cuyo artículo 5° se dice: “Las Municipalidades tendrán a su cargo la administración plena de los sistemas de abastecimiento de aguas potables que estén bajo su competencia”. Tal competencia, le ha podido ser suprimida a las Municipalidades, y ser transferida a otro ente autónomo, por la Asamblea Legislativa , sin trasgresión del artículo 170 de la Constitución Política ”. \n\nLa posición de Corte Plena es plenamente conciliable con los argumentos que la Sala Constitucional expuso en el voto 5445-95 supra citado, en el sentido de que cuando el problema desborda la circunscripción territorial a la que están supeditados los gobiernos locales, se puede trasladar esa competencia a las instituciones del Estado nacionales o regionales correspondientes, mediante una ley de nacionalización o de regionalización, según sea el caso. En el caso del servicio de agua potable y evacuación de aguas servidas mediante alcantarillado, esa nacionalización se dio en su oportunidad con la Ley que crea el Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados. (…) (la negrilla no es del original)\n\nIV.- Las Asociaciones Administradoras de Acueductos Comunales (ASADAs), son entidades conformadas por vecinos, formalmente constituidas con personería jurídica propia y encargadas de administrar el acueducto de su comunidad mediante la delegación por parte de Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, conforme a lo dispuesto en el artículo 2 inciso g) de su Ley Constitutiva, que le permite delegar la administración, operación y mantenimiento de los sistemas de acueductos y alcantarillados, en organizaciones debidamente constituidas para tal efecto. Las ASADAs sustituyeron a los antiguos Comités Administradores de Acueductos, y tienen plena responsabilidad para captar y distribuir el agua que consume la comunidad, construir y mantener la infraestructura necesaria, cobrar por el servicio brindado y manejar los ingresos recaudados. Por otra parte, los Acueductos Comunales no tienen vínculos formales con los gobiernos municipales de su cantón, ya que es el Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados quien supervisa las operaciones y fiscaliza la gestión de las Asociaciones dichas. Inicialmente fueron reguladas por el Decreto Ejecutivo No. 29100-S, del 9 de noviembre del 2000, publicado en La Gaceta No. 231, del 1 de diciembre del mismo año, y en la actualidad por el Decreto Ejecutivo No. 32529-S- MINAE, del 2 de febrero del 2005, publicado en La Gaceta No. 150, del 5 de agosto de 2005.\n\nV.- En el caso concreto, de acuerdo con el oficio GPJM-157-2004, fechado 18 de mayo de 2004, los vecinos de la localidad, constituyeron la Asociación Administradora de Acueductos y Alcantarillado Sanitario Paéz de Oreamuno, bajo el auspicio del Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, puesto que ahí se indica que dicha entidad les ha otorgado identificaciones. Siendo así, lleva razón la Municipalidad de Cartago, en el sentido de que cualquier disconformidad con el servicio de agua potable que brinda dicha Asociación, compete conocerla y evaluarla al Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado y no a ese gobierno local, lo que conlleva a confirmar el acto apelado.”", "body_en_text": "III.- In repeated resolutions, the Constitutional Chamber (Sala Constitucional) has considered that, as part of Constitutional Law, there exists a fundamental right to potable water:\n\n“(…) V.- The Chamber recognizes, as part of Constitutional Law, a fundamental right to potable water, derived from the fundamental rights to health, life, a healthy environment, food, and decent housing, among others, as has also been recognized in international instruments on Human Rights applicable in Costa Rica: thus, it appears explicitly in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (art. 14) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (art. 24); additionally, it is enunciated in the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo (principle 2), and is declared in numerous others of International Humanitarian Law. In our Inter-American Human Rights System, the country is particularly obligated in this matter by the provisions of Article 11.1 of the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights in the Area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (\"Protocol of San Salvador\" of 1988), which provides that:\n\n‘Article 11. Right to a healthy environment 1. Everyone shall have the right to live in a healthy environment and to have access to basic public services’.\n\nFurthermore, recently, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights reiterated that having water is a human right that, besides being essential for leading a healthy life, is a requirement for the realization of all other human rights.\n\nVI.- From the foregoing normative framework derives a series of fundamental rights linked to the obligation of the State to provide basic public services, which imply, on the one hand, that people cannot be illegitimately deprived of them, but that, as in the case of potable water, the ownership of an enforceable right cannot be sustained for any individual so that the State supplies them with the public service of potable water, immediately and wherever it may be, but rather, in the manner provided for in the same Protocol of San Salvador, this class of rights obligates the States to adopt measures, as provided in the first article of the same Protocol:\n\n‘The States Parties to this Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights undertake to adopt the necessary measures, both domestically and through cooperation among the States, especially economic and technical, to the maximum extent of their available resources and taking into account their degree of development, in order to progressively achieve, and in accordance with domestic legislation, the full effectiveness of the rights recognized in this Protocol’.\n\nFrom this it cannot be interpreted that this fundamental right to public services lacks concrete enforceability; on the contrary, when the State reasonably must provide them, the holders of the right can demand it, and the public administrations or, as the case may be, the private parties that provide them in their place cannot shield themselves behind alleged resource shortages, which has been the secular public excuse to justify the non-fulfillment of their duties.” (Sentencia 4654-2003 of 15:44 hours on May 27, 2003).\n\n\n\nOn the other hand, the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) has also established that the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados can assume the administration of aqueducts held by the Municipalities, due to deficiency in the service. In Voto No. 5606-2006, it stated:\n\n“VI-. Municipal autonomy and potable water service. Precisely, in the case of water, the background indicates that the service had originally been given to the Municipalities by the Ley General de Agua Potable, No. 1634 of September 18, 1953, (Article 5) and subsequently, upon the creation of the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado, that function passes to this Institution according to the wording of Article 2:\n\n\"The original Article 2, subsection h) of Law 2726 of April 14, 1961, provided as an attribution of the Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados:\n\n'To prepare the rates and tariffs for the public services covered by this law, which are provided in the country by public and private companies, based on the principles of cost-of-service and a percentage of profit for capitalization and development.(...) The rates and tariffs that the Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillados prepares shall be \"authorized\" by the agency indicated by law.\"\n\nArticle 1 (*) granted it the possibility of resolving everything related to the supply of potable water and the disposal of black water and industrial waste. (*) This article has been reformed by Law No. 5915 of July 12, 1976.\n\nLet us see:\n\n“For the purpose of directing, setting policies, establishing and applying standards, carrying out and promoting planning, financing, and development, and of resolving everything related to the supply of potable water and the collection and evacuation of black water and liquid industrial waste, as well as the normative aspect of storm sewer systems in urban areas, for the entire national territory, the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados is created, as an autonomous institution of the State.”\n\nFor its part, Article 2 indicates that it corresponded to the Institute (AYA):\n\na) To direct and monitor everything concerning providing the inhabitants of the republic with a service of potable water, collection and evacuation of black water and liquid industrial waste, and rainwater in urban areas;\n\n...\n\nc) To promote the conservation of watersheds (cuencas hidrográficas) and ecological protection, as well as the control of water contamination;\n\nA study of the legislative file of the Law creating A y A, formerly SNEE, makes it clear that it was precisely the problems related to the supply of potable water, black or wastewater, and rainwater in the different localities of the country that motivated the nationalization of the service through the creation of AyA in the face of municipal inertia, (see folio 108 and following of the legislative file of Law No. 2727), where it is also recognized that the issue of water cannot be treated as a territorial issue. In this regard, it was stated:\n\n“...they cannot be resolved adequately [referring to water] solely taking into account the interests of a specific community, circumscribed to a particular territorial or administrative jurisdiction, because these services affect inhabitants of many different communities and large extensions of the territory, in such a way that some services invariably depend on others, making the interconnection of those services necessary in many cases.\n\nII.- That the springs (nacientes) of potable waters and the river currents used for supplying piping systems or for evacuating black or wastewater, run through large extensions of the territory, which is why part of those waters cannot be used, at a determined point, without affecting, sometimes substantially, the entire watercourse and the interests of the communities that the watercourse in question crosses; on the other hand, the conveyance of already treated waters, through aqueducts, sewers, sewer systems, or open-air water currents, is carried out across several administrative and territorial jurisdictions, from which the intimate relationship that exists between the interest of each and every community in the solution of these problems is evident, which undoubtedly confers national interest status to any project developed to provide an adequate solution to the problems arising from the catchment, treatment, and distribution of potable waters, black or wastewater, and rainwater.\n\nIII.- That the solution with a national approach to these problems is not only convenient from a sanitary point of view, but also from an economic and administrative one, being, at the same time, fully in accordance with the constitutional and legal order in force. On this same topic, the Attorney General's Office (Procuraduría) had previously indicated “that there is no reason of a logical or legal nature to consider that water services, even if they have been in the hands of the Municipalities until today, constitute by essence 'local services' in the sense of the cited Article 169 [referring to the constitutional one], and, consequently, that there is also no constitutional obstacle for a law to integrate them into a national program and institution, as projected, without violating at all the municipal autonomy defined by Article 170. In doing so, the Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa) would simply be exercising its specific, superior, and exclusive constitutional power to issue laws (Article 121, subsection 1), excepting water supply, validly and justifiably, from the concept of local services and, therefore, from municipal jurisdiction. This has been done before with other services of similar or lesser importance, such as electrical, telephone, railway, port and air, health services, etc.\"\n\nThis same thesis of the national interest in the efficient provision of potable water service was subsequently confirmed by the Full Court (Corte Plena), exercising the functions of constitutional judge, in the resolution adopted in the extraordinary session of March 17, 1963, on the occasion of a constitutional challenge filed by the Municipality of Goicoechea against Law 2726 that created the Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillado (today AyA).\n\nIn the pertinent part, the majority vote states:\n\n“The recognition that the 1949 Constitution made of the Municipalities as autonomous bodies in charge of local administration did not elevate them to the category of sovereign entities, nor did it mean that the administrative activity concerning the Canton must be attended to exclusively by the Municipality and disregarding any other authority or body, but rather they remain subject to what the laws provide in special cases. (…) The Legislative Power can, by means of law, provide, as it has now done, regarding the management of one or some of the matters that are today under the administration of the Municipality. To consider that the Legislative Power cannot vary or modify anything of what is under the control and administration of the Municipalities is like thinking that sovereignty does not reside in the Nation (Art. 2), but rather that there are parts of the territory that are subject to the exclusive sovereignty of the Municipality and that this is absolute even to the detriment of the State. The legislator has considered that for better public service, it is advisable to create a specialized body that it has called “Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillado”, whose creation has been recorded in Law number 2726 of April 14, 1961. It is within the powers of the Legislative Assembly to enact that law which merely modifies a system believing it necessary for the benefit of the public. (…). If the public service requires, for technical, economic, or legal reasons, the creation of new entities, the Legislative Assembly may do so by entrusting it with its performance, and if such a service already exists under the charge of a specific institution, it may well, considering it beneficial, transfer it to the new body. (…) The Legislative Assembly has ample power to create as many autonomous entities as it deems convenient for better public service.” For his part, Magistrate Nombre7115 highlighted: “If a public person (municipality or autonomous entity) were so independent that the power of the Legislative Assembly would stop before that wall of autonomy, one would have to agree that the State has divested itself of its sovereignty to grant it equally to the public person, or in other terms, as Nombre71261 says, it would be the case of a State created within another State. It is true that autonomy grants the public entity complete independence to act within the limits of the competence that the Constitution or laws have granted it in the administration of decentralized public services; likewise, to provide itself with the internal government it deems appropriate. But if that competence for the administration of decentralized services is not established by the Political Constitution, if it originates from the provision of the Legislative Assembly, with the power that the latter had to grant it, it can limit it, suppress it in whole or in part, or transfer it to another public entity. This is proclaimed by the doctrine of the most modern authors who have dealt with this matter. (…) In Costa Rica, the competence granted to the Municipalities for the administration (only for the administration) of potable water systems is provided by Law No. 1634 of September 18, 1953, in whose Article 5 it is stated: “The Municipalities shall be in charge of the full administration of the potable water supply systems under their competence.” Such competence could be suppressed from the Municipalities, and transferred to another autonomous entity, by the Legislative Assembly, without violating Article 170 of the Political Constitution.”\n\nThe position of the Full Court is fully reconcilable with the arguments that the Constitutional Chamber set forth in the aforementioned Voto 5445-95, in the sense that when the problem overflows the territorial circumscription to which local governments are subject, that competence can be transferred to the corresponding national or regional State institutions, through a nationalization or regionalization law, as the case may be. In the case of the potable water and wastewater evacuation service through sewer systems, that nationalization occurred at the time with the Law creating the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados. (…) (the boldface is not from the original)\n\nIV.- The Asociaciones Administradoras de Acueductos Comunales (Community Aqueduct Administration Associations, ASADAs) are entities formed by neighbors, formally constituted with their own legal personality (personería jurídica) and in charge of administering their community's aqueduct through delegation by the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, in accordance with the provisions of Article 2, subsection g) of its Constitutive Law, which allows it to delegate the administration, operation, and maintenance of aqueduct and sewer systems, to organizations duly constituted for that purpose. The ASADAs replaced the former Aqueduct Administrative Committees, and have full responsibility for capturing and distributing the water that the community consumes, building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure, charging for the service provided, and managing the revenue collected. On the other hand, Community Aqueducts have no formal ties with the municipal governments of their canton, since it is the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados who supervises the operations and oversees the management of said Associations. They were initially regulated by Decreto Ejecutivo No. 29100-S, of November 9, 2000, published in La Gaceta No. 231, of December 1 of the same year, and currently by Decreto Ejecutivo No. 32529-S-MINAE, of February 2, 2005, published in La Gaceta No. 150, of August 5, 2005.\n\nV.- In the specific case, according to official communication GPJM-157-2004, dated May 18, 2004, the neighbors of the locality constituted the Asociación Administradora de Acueductos y Alcantarillado Sanitario Paéz de Oreamuno, under the auspices of the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, since it indicates that said entity has granted them identifications. This being so, the Municipality of Cartago is correct in the sense that any disagreement with the potable water service provided by said Association, is the responsibility of the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado to hear and evaluate, and not of that local government, which leads to confirming the appealed act.”\n\nThis has been done before with other services of similar or lesser importance, such as electric, telephone, railway, port and air, and health services, etc.\"

This same thesis of national interest in the efficient provision of potable water service was subsequently confirmed by the Corte Plena, exercising the functions of constitutional judge, in the resolution adopted in the extraordinary session of March 17, 1963, regarding a claim of unconstitutionality filed by the Municipalidad de Goicoechea against Law 2726, which created the Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillado (today AyA).

In what is relevant, the majority opinion (voto de mayoría) states:

\"The recognition that the 1949 Constitution gave to Municipalities as autonomous bodies in charge of local administration did not elevate them to the category of sovereign entities, nor did it mean that the administrative activity pertaining to the Canton must be exclusively attended to by the Municipality to the exclusion of any other authority or body; rather, they remain subject to what the laws provide in special cases. (...) The Legislative Branch can, through law, provide, as it has now done, for the management of one or some of the matters that are currently under the administration of the Municipality. To consider that the Legislative Branch cannot vary or modify anything that is under the control and administration of the Municipalities is like thinking that sovereignty does not reside in the Nation (art. 2), but that there are parts of the territory that are subject to the exclusive sovereignty of the Municipality and that this sovereignty is absolute even to the detriment of the State. The legislator has considered that for better public service, it is appropriate to create a special body that it has called \"Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillado\", and whose creation has been recorded in Law No. 2726 of April 14, 1961. It is within the powers of the Legislative Assembly to enact that law, which only modifies a system because it is deemed necessary for the benefit of the public. (...). If the public service requires, for technical, economic, or legal reasons, the creation of new entities, the Legislative Assembly may do so by entrusting its performance to them, and if such service already exists under the charge of a certain institution, it may well, considering it beneficial, transfer it to the new body. (...) The Legislative Assembly has broad power to create as many autonomous entities as it deems convenient for the better public service.\" For his part, Magistrate Nombre7115 emphasized: \"If a public person (municipality or autonomous entity) were so independent that the power of the Legislative Assembly would stop before that wall of autonomy, one would have to agree that the State has divested itself of its sovereignty to grant it on an equal basis to the public person, or in other terms, as Nombre71261 says, it would be the case of a State created within another State. It is true that autonomy grants the public entity complete independence to act within the limits of the competence that the Constitution or the laws have granted it in the administration of decentralized public services; likewise to provide itself with the internal governance it deems convenient. But if that competence for the administration of decentralized services is not fixed by the Political Constitution, if it originates from a provision of the Legislative Assembly, with the power it had to grant it, it can limit it, suppress it in whole or in part, or transfer it to another public entity. This is proclaimed by the doctrine of the most modern authors who have dealt with this matter. (...) In Costa Rica, the competence granted to Municipalities for the administration (only for administration) of potable water systems is provided by Law No. 1634 of September 18, 1953, in whose Article 5 it is stated: 'Municipalities shall be in charge of the full administration of the potable water supply systems that are under their competence.' Such competence could be suppressed from the Municipalities and transferred to another autonomous entity by the Legislative Assembly, without violating Article 170 of the Political Constitution.\"

The position of the Corte Plena is fully reconcilable with the arguments that the Constitutional Chamber set forth in vote 5445-95 cited above, in the sense that when the problem overflows the territorial circumscription to which local governments are subject, that competence can be transferred to the corresponding national or regional State institutions, through a law of nationalization or regionalization, as the case may be. In the case of the potable water and sewage evacuation service via sewer systems (alcantarillado), that nationalization occurred in its time with the Law creating the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados. (...) (the boldface is not from the original)

IV.- The Community Aqueduct Administrative Associations (Asociaciones Administradoras de Acueductos Comunales, ASADAs) are entities formed by neighbors, formally constituted with their own legal personality and charged with administering their community aqueduct through delegation by the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, in accordance with the provisions of Article 2, subsection g) of its Constitutive Law, which allows it to delegate the administration, operation, and maintenance of aqueduct and sewer systems to organizations duly constituted for such effect. The ASADAs replaced the old Aqueduct Administrative Committees (Comités Administradores de Acueductos) and have full responsibility for capturing and distributing the water that the community consumes, building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure, charging for the service provided, and managing the revenues collected. Furthermore, Community Aqueducts (Acueductos Comunales) have no formal ties with the municipal governments of their canton, since it is the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados that supervises the operations and oversees the management of said Associations. They were initially regulated by Executive Decree No. 29100-S, of November 9, 2000, published in La Gaceta No. 231, of December 1 of the same year, and currently by Executive Decree No. 32529-S-MINAE, of February 2, 2005, published in La Gaceta No. 150, of August 5, 2005.

V.- In the specific case, according to official communication GPJM-157-2004, dated May 18, 2004, the residents of the locality constituted the Asociación Administradora de Acueductos y Alcantarillado Sanitario Paéz de Oreamuno, under the auspices of the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, since it is indicated there that said entity has granted them identification. This being so, the Municipalidad de Cartago is correct in the sense that any dissatisfaction with the potable water service provided by said Association falls under the jurisdiction and evaluation of the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado and not that local government, which leads to confirming the appealed act.\"

\n\nIn relevant part, the majority opinion states: \"The recognition that the 1949 Constitution granted to the Municipalities as autonomous bodies responsible for local administration did not elevate them to the category of sovereign entities, nor did it mean that the administrative activity pertaining to the Canton must be attended to by the Municipality exclusively and without regard to any other authority or body, but rather that they remain subject to what the laws provide in special cases. (…) The Legislative Power may, by law, provide, as it has now done, for the handling of one or more of the matters currently under the administration of the Municipality. To consider that the Legislative Power cannot vary or modify anything under the control and administration of the Municipalities is like thinking that sovereignty does not reside in the Nation (Art. 2), but rather that there are parts of the territory subject to the exclusive sovereignty of the Municipality and that this sovereignty is absolute even to the detriment of the State. The legislator has considered that, for better public service, it is appropriate to create a special body called the 'Servicio Nacional de Acueductos y Alcantarillado,' whose creation has been recorded in Law No. 2726 of April 14, 1961. It is within the powers of the Legislative Assembly to enact that law, which merely modifies a system because it deems it necessary for the public benefit. (…). If public service requires, for technical, economic, or legal reasons, the creation of new entities, the Legislative Assembly may do so by entrusting its performance to them, and if such a service already exists under the charge of a specific institution, it may well, considering it beneficial, transfer it to the new body. (…) The Legislative Assembly has broad authority to create as many autonomous entities as it deems convenient for the betterment of public service.\" For his part, Judge Nombre7115 emphasized: \"If a public person (municipality or autonomous entity) were so independent that the power of the Legislative Assembly stopped before that wall of autonomy, one would have to agree that the State has stripped itself of its sovereignty to grant it, as an equal to an equal, to the public person, or in other terms, as Nombre71261 says, it would be a case of a State created within another State. It is true that autonomy grants the public entity complete independence to act within the limits of the competence granted to it by the Constitution or the laws in the administration of decentralized public services; the same applies for establishing the internal government it deems appropriate. But if that competence for the administration of decentralized services is not established by the Political Constitution, if it originates from a provision of the Legislative Assembly, then with the power that body had to grant it, it can limit it, suppress it in whole or in part, or transfer it to another public entity. This is proclaimed by the doctrine of the most modern authors who have dealt with this matter. (…) In Costa Rica, the competence granted to the Municipalities for the administration (only for the administration) of potable water systems is provided by Law No. 1634 of September 18, 1953, in whose Article 5 it is stated: 'The Municipalities shall have under their charge the full administration of the potable water supply systems that are under their competence.' Such competence could be suppressed from the Municipalities and transferred to another autonomous entity by the Legislative Assembly, without violating Article 170 of the Political Constitution.\"\n\nThe position of the Full Court is fully reconcilable with the arguments that the Constitutional Chamber set forth in decision 5445-95 cited above, in the sense that when the problem overflows the territorial circumscription to which the local governments are subordinated, that competence can be transferred to the corresponding national or regional State institutions through a law of nationalization or regionalization, as the case may be. In the case of the potable water and sewage evacuation service via sewer systems (alcantarillado), that nationalization occurred in due course with the Law creating the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados. (…) (bold not in original)\n\nIV.- The Community Water System Management Associations (Asociaciones Administradoras de Acueductos Comunales, ASADAs) are entities composed of residents, formally constituted with their own legal standing (personería jurídica), and charged with administering the water system (acueducto) of their community through delegation by the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, pursuant to the provisions of Article 2, subsection g) of its Constitutive Law, which allows it to delegate the administration, operation, and maintenance of water and sewer system networks to organizations duly constituted for that purpose. The ASADAs replaced the former Water System Management Committees (Comités Administradores de Acueductos), and they have full responsibility for capturing and distributing the water consumed by the community, building and maintaining the necessary infrastructure, charging for the service provided, and managing the collected revenues. Furthermore, Community Water Systems (Acueductos Comunales) have no formal ties with the municipal governments of their canton, since it is the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados that supervises the operations and oversees the management of said Associations. They were initially regulated by Executive Decree No. 29100-S, of November 9, 2000, published in La Gaceta No. 231, of December 1 of the same year, and currently by Executive Decree No. 32529-S-MINAE, of February 2, 2005, published in La Gaceta No. 150, of August 5, 2005.\n\nV.- In the specific case, according to official letter GPJM-157-2004, dated May 18, 2004, the residents of the locality constituted the Asociación Administradora de Acueductos y Alcantarillado Sanitario Paéz de Oreamuno, under the auspices of the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, since it indicates that said entity has granted them identification credentials. This being so, the Municipality of Cartago is correct in the sense that any disagreement with the potable water service provided by said Association is for the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillado to address and evaluate, not that local government, which entails confirming the appealed act.\"" }