The market study published by the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) on the PanamaCompra portal did not receive any proposals from the suppliers surveyed.

The IDAAN seeks to alleviate the lack of access to drinking water in communities in Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Colón, Herrera, Los Santos, East Panama, Darién, and metropolitan areas such as Chilibre, Tocumen, Arraiján, and La Chorrera.

The entity will allocate $4.7 million to the distribution of drinking water by tanker truck in several regions of the country, for a three-month period.

The study’s main purpose is to gather information from companies that could provide transportation, distribution, and supply of drinking water via tanker trucks. This allows them to understand the market landscape of suppliers.

A crucial reason is to obtain market reference prices for the requested services. This information is essential for IDAAN to provide a basis for future contracting and ensure that prices are fair and in line with market reality. The objective is to compare the prices offered by providers to establish an average price for the requested service.

The technical specifications of the contract establish the use of two types of tanker trucks:

Small tanks: vehicles with a capacity of 3,000 to 5,500 gallons.

Large tankers: “mule” type trucks with trailers and 9,000 to 13,000 gallon tanks.

IDAAN, as the managing entity, will determine the water intake point for each truck on each trip, and the contractor must comply with these provisions.

In addition, trucks may be reassigned outside their sectors depending on the need for service in other communities or regions.

Distribution and delivery hours are: Monday to Sunday (7 days a week). Delivery hours: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The reliance on water trucks to supply water to entire communities is not new in Panama. The 2023 census reveals that 21,985 households in the country rely on this method, with an almost equal distribution between urban (12,911 households) and rural (10,370) areas. The Ngäbe Buglé region leads this list with 11,675 households, followed by Veraguas (2,834) and Coclé (1,916).