Located in the northernmost part of the Valparaíso Region, the city of Petorca—municipal capital and administrative center of the basin that shares its name—faces one of the most prolonged and severe water crises in Chile. With an area of 1,516 km² and an approximate population of 10,000 inhabitants, Petorca is the epicenter of a structural conflict over water use, worsened by decades of aquifer overexploitation, intensive export-oriented agriculture (mainly avocados), and highly deficient rural water supply infrastructure.
Water use in the basin is overwhelmingly dominated by the agricultural sector, accounting for more than 90% of both legal and illegal extractions. This intensive usage pattern has caused a dramatic drop in the piezometric levels of the Petorca aquifer, which was officially declared overexploited in 1997. At the same time, rural drinking water infrastructure suffers from losses exceeding 35%, affecting dozens of dispersed communities that rely on water trucks for their supply.
This project aims to reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in Rural Drinking Water Systems, implement artificial recharge infrastructure, and improve safe access to water in critical communities, under an integrated framework of Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA) and WASH Benefit Accounting (WASH BA). Proposed interventions include the use of IoT-based leak detection technologies, the construction of infiltration trenches and rainwater harvesting systems connected to recharge wells, and the strengthening of rural water system capacity through equipment, training, and local water planning.
The intervention complies with the technical and methodological criteria of VWBA 2.0 in terms of additionality, traceability, scientific alignment, and basin-level integration. It also incorporates WASH BA elements and water quality improvements (WQBA, where applicable), positioning the project as a multisectoral solution that is environmentally effective and socially equitable.
The Petorca River basin is facing a scenario of structural hydrological collapse caused by multiple converging factors:
The project proposes a multidimensional intervention structured around three key pillars, aligned with VWBA, WASH BA, and—where relevant—WQBA methodologies:
1. Reduction of Non-Revenue Water (NRW)
2. Artificial Aquifer Recharge
3. Strengthening Community Access and Water Management (WASH BA)
1. Technical and Social Diagnosis
The first phase involves a comprehensive data collection process covering both technical and community dimensions. Priority rural water systems will be identified based on water stress levels, infrastructure conditions, leak rates, and service coverage. A hydrogeological assessment will also be conducted to map recharge potential across the basin, using field data and territorial modeling. In parallel, baseline access conditions will be documented, including supply frequency, perceived water quality, and current delivery mechanisms. All work will be coordinated with municipalities, rural water committees, and local organizations.
2. Engineering Design and Site PreparationU
Using the collected data, technical designs will be developed for each solution. These include network sectorization, monitoring technology deployment, rainwater harvesting systems, and the construction of aquifer recharge structures like infiltration trenches and shallow wells. Permits will be secured from relevant authorities, and initial training workshops will be held with local water operators to ensure proper management and ownership of the technologies.
3. Infrastructure Deployment and Technology Installation
Once designs are finalized, on-site implementation will begin. This includes the installation of meters, control valves, and sensors for leak detection and flow optimization. Recharge infrastructure will be built in previously identified areas, following technical criteria such as soil permeability, aquifer depth, and connectivity to natural waterways. In communities with insufficient or intermittent access, critical sections of the distribution network will be upgraded to improve pressure, continuity, and per capita water availability.
4. Monitoring, Validation, and Impact Reporting
After implementation, a continuous monitoring system will be launched to assess project impact. Real-time data will be used to track reductions in NRW, recharge volumes, and access improvements. These indicators will be compared against the baseline and used to generate verifiable reports. Community participation will be encouraged in the monitoring process through accessible tools and regular reporting, aligned with VWBA and WASH frameworks.
5. Territorial Scaling and Model Replication
The project experience will be systematized to facilitate replication in other areas of the basin, such as Cabildo and La Ligua. Partnerships will be formed with agricultural stakeholders to establish voluntary water compensation schemes that support long-term financial sustainability. Efforts will also be made to access external funding—both national and international—to scale up the interventions. Finally, capacity-building efforts will be focused on strengthening the technical and organizational autonomy of local actors to ensure sustainability beyond the project cycle.
This project emerges as a direct response to a persistent and critical water scarcity situation in the Petorca River basin—one of the most affected areas in Chile due to both adverse climate conditions and an imbalanced water use model. Over the past three decades, intensive irrigation, declining rainfall, and the lack of adequate rural infrastructure have fueled environmental degradation and high social tension.
The project addresses this complex issue through a basin-wide, integrated strategy built around three main pillars: improved water efficiency, artificial aquifer recharge, and enhanced community access to safe water. Every component is designed under the principle of additionality, ensuring that benefits would not occur without project intervention, and aligned with the VWBA 2.0 and WASH BA methodologies.
The first pillar focuses on reducing Non-Revenue Water in rural systems by working directly with local water committees and cooperatives, many of which suffer from losses exceeding 40%. Real-time monitoring technologies will be implemented—including pressure and flow sensors, automated valves, telemetry, and sector meters—to detect and address leaks efficiently. These upgrades will be supported by hydraulic sectorization, critical network redesign, and technical training for local personnel, relieving pressure on a severely depleted aquifer.
The second pillar emphasizes artificial aquifer recharge. Hydrogeological analysis and satellite tools will identify priority infiltration zones, especially along active gullies and historic recharge channels. Infrastructure such as trenches, shallow wells, filter galleries, and stormwater diversion canals will be constructed to capture temporary flows and promote percolation. Community rooftops in schools, health centers, and public buildings will be used for rainwater harvesting, pre-filtered and redirected to recharge structures. This hybrid of engineered and nature-based solutions aims to recover the original hydrological function of the basin and contribute to slow, sustained aquifer recovery.
The third pillar centers on people. A detailed assessment of service coverage, continuity, and quality will be conducted in at least 10 rural communities. Based on this, networks will be upgraded to ensure dignity in access—improving pressure, storage, and per capita availability. A community empowerment program will also be launched, offering training for operators, fostering local water governance, promoting transparency, and enabling citizen participation. Public campaigns will raise awareness about responsible water use and emphasize collective stewardship of this common resource.
Throughout the entire project cycle, the Aqua Positive platform will be used to record data, calculate volumetric benefits, verify additionality, and ensure traceability. All indicators will be auditable, comparable, and aligned with international frameworks such as science-based targets for water, corporate sustainability reporting standards, and the CEO Water Mandate.
© 2025 Aquapositive. All rights reserved. Further distribution is not permitted without authorization from Aquapositive.
