World Water Day Celebrations Start March 12 — Botanical Garden Event, Youth Forum, and a 6K Race

Cuenca Takes Water Seriously — And This Month Proves It

If you've lived in Cuenca for any amount of time, you know water is central to this city's identity. Four rivers run through it (the Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui, and Machángara), the páramo above the Cajas feeds the entire water supply, and ETAPA EP — the municipal water company — is one of the most respected public utilities in Ecuador.

Now ETAPA is launching a full month of activities leading up to and beyond World Water Day on March 22, and several of the events are genuinely interesting — not just bureaucratic ribbon-cutting.

The Events

March 12 — Water Quality Monitoring Launch

• Time: 9:00 AM
• Location: Sústag Water Treatment Plant (Soldados road)
• What: Official launch of a new water quality monitoring and early alert system. This is the tech infrastructure that lets ETAPA detect contamination or quality issues in real time across the watershed.

Getting there: The Sústag plant is about 30 minutes south of Cuenca on the road toward Soldados. This event is likely more for the policy-interested than the casual visitor.

March 22 — Family Day at the Botanical Garden

• Time: 10:00 AM
• Location: Cuenca Botanical Garden (Av. del Tejar, near the University of Cuenca campus)
• What: A family-oriented gathering themed "From the Páramo to the Fifth River" — a day dedicated to reflection and celebration of water and life.

This is the main public event and probably the most accessible for expats. The Botanical Garden is a beautiful space, and the theme refers to Cuenca's unofficial "fifth river" — the underground aquifer that feeds the city.

March 26 — Youth Conversation Forum

• Time: 3:00 PM
• Location: Historic Central School building (El Centro)
• What: "Young Voices of the Fifth River" — a forum for young people to discuss water conservation, sustainability, and Cuenca's future.

March 6–26 — Community Activities in Highland Parishes

ETAPA is running activities in the highland recharge zone parishes that protect Cuenca's water supply: Molleturo, Chaucha, Yanuncay, Sayausí, Tarqui, Victoria del Portete, Chiquintad, and Sinincay. These rural communities are literally where Cuenca's clean water comes from.

May 31 — "We Move for Water" 6K Race

• Time: 8:00 AM
• Location: Starting at El Paraíso Park
• What: A 6K athletic festival through city streets. Mark your calendar if you're a runner — this one's a few months out but worth noting now.

Why ETAPA Matters

For those new to Cuenca: ETAPA EP is the municipal company that manages water, sewerage, and telecommunications. Unlike many developing-world utilities, ETAPA has a strong reputation for water quality — Cuenca's tap water is generally considered safe to drink, which is unusual in Latin America.

ETAPA's manager, Verónica Polo, described the programming as aiming to "connect citizens with water through multiple perspectives: knowledge, technology, art, and awareness-building."

The Bottom Line

The March 22 event at the Botanical Garden is the one to put on your calendar. It's free, family-friendly, and in one of Cuenca's nicest green spaces. And if you're a runner, the May 31 6K is a good one to train for.

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Source: El Mercurio