What works in Moyobamba

Since 2008, EPS Moyobamba's water utility in Peru's San Martín region has charged a monthly water-tariff surcharge of S/1.00 (~US$0.27) per connection to fund watershed conservation, with a documented phase investing S/3.5 million to reforest 400 hectares of native species across three microwatersheds supplying the city's drinking water. Engineers project this restoration will increase dry-season flow by approximately 24 litres/second and reduce long-term sediment loads by 22,000–25,000 tonnes over 20 years, benefiting an estimated 42,733–49,556 residents. The scheme predates Peru's national MERESE law by six years and has since been replicated by 49 other water utilities across the country. However, these sediment-reduction and flow figures are engineering projections rather than independently verified long-term monitoring results.