Advanced Water Treatment Plant to Sustain Panama City Through to 2055

Located on the banks of the Chagres River near the Panama Canal, the village of Gamboa has been expanding since the early 20th century when it began to grow to accommodate workers building the canal. Over the past century, growth in both population and the economy has significantly increased the demand for drinking water in Panama City. Addressing this crucial need, the national government committed $239 million (approximately €220 million) to build a state-of-the-art water treatment plant in Gamboa. This project, executed by the specialist water engineering company Tedagua and overseen by Ayesa Panama, represents one of the largest water treatment schemes under the current administration through the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewer Systems (IDAAN).

Ayesa is at the helm of this extensive scheme, Project managing numerous vital components:

• Construction of a raw water intake on the Chagres River.
• A pumping station with a capacity of 2.85 m³/s (65 MGD), expandable to 3.75 m³/s (85 MGD).
• A state-of-the-art drinking water treatment plant (DWTP).
• Two large storage tanks for treated drinking water.
• A robust ductile iron aduction line with a diameter of 1,800mm (72″).

The newly installed water intake and the pumping station are engineered to transport water efficiently to the treatment plant, which will initially produce up to 60 MGD (227,100 m³/day) of treated water. This capacity is designed to expand up to 322,000 m³/day (85 MGD). Post-treatment, water will be conveyed through a 19-kilometer conduit pipeline to integrate with the broader Panama water distribution network, ensuring effective distribution throughout the metropolitan area of Panama City.

Ayesa is raising the bar for project management within the construction sector by rigorously adhering to PMI’s global standards. This strategic approach ensures the meticulous application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to surpass project expectations, setting a new standard for reliability and project execution excellence.

Ayesa’s implementation of the Vranis document management system redefines administrative, filing, and document control processes. This advanced system supports a high level of collaboration among IDAAN, the Agua para Gamboa Consortium, and Ayesa Panama, boosting efficiency through features such as centralized document storage, controlled access, expedited search capabilities, and comprehensive audit trails. Such innovations contribute to Ayesa’s leadership in project management from both an oversight and documentary perspective.

The new water treatment facility is a beacon of sustainability and innovation, designed to secure water supply in terms of quantity, quality, and continuity for Panama City’s metropolitan area. It incorporates cutting-edge technology to support anticipated population growth through 2055.

This project fortifies the water systems along the Occidente II line, ensuring round-the-clock water availability to over 235,000 residents of Panama City, affirming the capital’s infrastructure resilience and public health standards.