Illegally drilled wells in Costa Rica can be registered starting September 24, 2019.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae) has issued a six-month amnesty for wells that were illegally drilled before 2010. The deadline is March 24, 2020.
Costa Rica: Six months amnesty for unregistered wells
Landowners must obtain an affidavit from a notary indicating, among other things, location, drilling year, runoff and use.
The document must then be submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (www.minae.go.cr) or Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (www.mag.go.cr).
Upon receipt of the application, the applicant will have one year to submit additional documents to obtain the respective water concession.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae) aims to simplify procedures for proper registration of wells without drilling permit and for obtaining water use licenses, provided that the wells are located in areas without legal restrictions.
Boreholes located within aquifers or special-status areas governed by judicial, legal or technical provisions, and those whose technical studies indicate that no water resources are available, are not covered by the amnesty.