Emcartago
Emcartago (Empresas Municipales de Cartago S.A.S. E.S.P.) is the municipal public utilities company of Cartago, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, providing regulated water supply and sewerage services to approximately 36,000+ residential, commercial, industrial, and government users under a municipal concession granted by the Municipio de Cartago.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCartago, Colombia
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Emcartago does
Emcartago (legal name: Empresas Municipales de Cartago S.A.S. E.S.P.) is the municipal public utilities company owned and controlled by the Municipio de Cartago in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The company provides water supply (acueducto) and sewerage (alcantarillado) services under the regulated E.S.P. (Empresas de Servicios Públicos) framework established by Colombian Law 142 of 1994, operating as a geographic monopoly within its granted concession area. As of December 2010 it served approximately 36,383 water subscribers and 34,415 sewerage subscribers, with urban coverage of 99.6% for water and 95.17% for sewerage, and a service continuity level of 98% in water supply. The company's customer base spans residential users (across estratos 1-6 under Colombia's cross-subsidy tariff structure), commercial users, industrial users, government/official users, and rural corregimiento communities in Zaragoza, Casierra, El Guanajuato, and Puerto Caldas. The Municipio de Cartago is its sole shareholder-equivalent, with the Board of Directors populated by municipal secretaries and officials.
The company's core technology consists of conventional water and wastewater treatment plants fed by a 950 lit/sec lateral intake on the Río La Vieja, 214 km of water distribution network (2 to 20 inch diameters), 277.5 km of sewerage network (68% combined, 18% sanitary, 14% stormwater), 17,160 m3 of total storage capacity, and an INAS-certified laboratory for IRCA water quality testing under Resolution 2115 of 2007 and Decree 1575 of 2007. Two wastewater treatment plants serve the Zaragoza and Guayabal districts. Recent digital investments include online bill payment via PSE (Pagos Seguros en Línea), the Mi Turno appointment-scheduling platform, online damage reporting, bill lookup, citizen complaint portals, and a Datos Abiertos open-data initiative for transparency compliance. Emcartago also operates the Mi Ciudad Verde environmental program and manages the Bosque Seco Tropical Hernán Victoria Mena, earning the Sello Verde de Verdad certification in 2025.
Emcartago's revenue is generated through regulated monthly tariffs set by the Comisión de Regulación de Agua Potable y Saneamiento Básico (CRA), with revenue streams including recurring water supply subscriptions, recurring sewerage charges, one-time connection and reconnection fees, and transaction-based payment-processing fees via PSE and bank correspondents (Supergiros, multipagas). Cross-subsidies flow from higher estrato residential users (4-6) and commercial/industrial customers to lower estrato users (1-2). The company is structured as a Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (S.A.S.) — a private corporate form used by Colombian state-owned enterprises — employs between 251 and 500 people, and operates from headquarters at Calle 14 # 4-59 in Cartago. Note: the firmographic short_description references energy services, but the operational source data covers only water supply, sewerage, and adjacent environmental programs with no disclosed energy operations.
Emcartago firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Emcartago
- Legal name
- Empresas Municipales de Cartago S.A.S. E.S.P.
- Website
- https://emcartago.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Emcartago (Empresas Municipales de Cartago S.A.S. E.S.P.) is the municipal public utilities company of Cartago, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, providing regulated water supply and sewerage services to approximately 36,000+ residential, commercial, industrial, and government users under a municipal concession granted by the Municipio de Cartago.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Emcartago industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Water and Wastewater Utilities
- NAICS
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control & Compliance (Storage, Separation, Treatment) (EUANAEAG)
Keywords
Where Emcartago is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cartago
- HQ country
- Colombia
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Emcartago business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Water Supply (Acueducto) Services: Monthly service tariffs for water supply based on consumption, fixed charges, and applicable surcharges. Regulated tariffs by the Comisión de Regulación de Agua Potable y Saneamiento Básico.
- Sewerage (Alcantarillado) Services: Monthly sewerage service charges based on water consumption, with fixed charges and applicable surcharges. Includes stormwater management services.
- Connection and Reconnection Fees: One-time charges for new service connections, inspections, installations, disconnections, and reconnections. Also includes meter installation fees.
- Payment Processing: Facilitates payment collection through PSE (Pagos Seguros en Línea), bank correspondents (Supergiros, multipagas), and authorized financial entities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential Estrato 1-2 (Subsidized) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential Estrato 3 (Partially Subsidized) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Residential Estrato 4-6 (Surcharged) |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Non-Residential / Commercial / Industrial |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Connection Fees |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Disconnection and Reconnection |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Emcartago product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Emcartago S.A.S. E.S.P. provides municipal water supply (acueducto) and sewerage (alcantarillado) services to residential, commercial, industrial, and government users in Cartago, Valle del Cauca and surrounding corregimientos. Operations span raw water capture from the Rio La Vieja, conventional treatment at two plants (650 L/s combined capacity), distribution through a 214 km network, sewerage collection across 277.5 km of pipelines, and wastewater treatment at plants serving the Zaragoza and Guayabal districts. Service access is provided through physical offices, digital channels (PSE online payments, Mi Turno appointments, damage reporting, bill lookup, and citizen complaint portals), and bank correspondents.
Product overview
Emcartago S.A.S. E.S.P. is a municipal public utilities company providing water supply (acueducto) and sewerage (alcantarillado) services to the municipality of Cartago, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The company operates two conventional water treatment plants with a combined capacity of 650 liters/second, serving approximately 36,383 water users and 34,415 sewerage subscribers. The service portfolio consists of core infrastructure services (water distribution network of 214 km and sewerage network of 277.5 km) supplemented by digital citizen service features including online bill payment via PSE, online appointment scheduling (Mi Turno), damage reporting, bill lookup, citizen complaints, and online procedures. The company also publishes open data and conducts public accountability reporting for transparency compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Acueducto (Water Supply Service) Water supply and distribution service providing potable water to residential, commercial, industrial, and government users in Cartago. Includes raw water capture from the Rio La Vieja through a lateral intake designed for 950 L/s, treatment at two conventional plants with combined 650 L/s capacity, distribution across 214 km of pipelines with 17,160 m3 of storage, and meter management. Service coverage reaches 99.60% of the municipality with 98% service continuity.
- Alcantarillado (Sewerage Service) Sewerage and wastewater management service including collection, transport, treatment, and final disposal of wastewater and stormwater through pipeline networks. Operates 277.5 km of sewerage network (68% combined, 18% sanitary, 14% stormwater), serving 34,415 subscribers with 95.17% coverage. Includes two wastewater treatment plants serving the Zaragoza and Guayabal districts and stormwater management services.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.60% water service coverage in Cartago municipality
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Emcartago
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Emcartago technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Emcartago partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca (CVC)minorRegional environmental authority that evaluates environmental points of interest managed by Emcartago, as referenced in Mi Ciudad Verde environmental initiatives. CVC conducts environmental assessments of Emcartago's facilities.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Emcartago competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Aguas Andinas S.A. Largest water and wastewater utility in Chile serving the Santiago metropolitan region under a regulated concession framework. Comparable business model (regulated tariff, infrastructure-intensive water/sewerage utility) but operates in a different country and larger geography.
- SABESP: State-level water and wastewater utility serving São Paulo metropolitan area in Brazil. Comparable regulated utility model with high urban concentration, though operates in a different country and at substantially larger scale.
Broad incumbents
- Veolia Colombia: International water and environmental services operator with municipal concessions across Colombia (formerly integrating Suez assets). Comparable core technology and service offering, but as a private multinational player with broader portfolio and global scale.
Direct peers
- Aguas de Manizales S.A. E.S.P. Municipal water and sewerage utility serving Manizales under the same E.S.P. structure and Colombian public utilities law. Closest comparable in scale and service scope to Emcartago among well-known Colombian municipal operators.
- Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Bogotá (EAAB): The municipal water and sewerage utility serving Bogotá under the same Colombian public utilities framework (Ley 142 de 1994). Operates the full water cycle from catchment to wastewater treatment for an urban population — directly comparable business model and regulatory environment to Emcartago, but at much larger scale.
- Triple A (Aguas de Barranquilla): Municipal water and sewerage utility serving Barranquilla under a similar public-utility concession model. Comparable subscription-based tariff structure, infrastructure-intensive operations, and Colombian regulatory regime.
- Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM): Colombian multi-utility owned by the Municipio de Medellín providing water, sewerage, energy, and gas under the same E.S.P. structure. Highly comparable ownership/governance model and core water-and-sewerage service delivery, though EPM operates across multiple geographies and segments.
- Aguas de Pereira: Municipal water and sewerage utility serving Pereira in Colombia's coffee region. Highly comparable E.S.P.-structured municipal concession with similar tariff regulation and infrastructure-based delivery model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Emcartago social profiles
Digital presenceEmcartago financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Emcartago leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Emcartago funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Emcartago M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Emcartago
What does Emcartago do?
Emcartago S.A.S. E.S.P. provides municipal water supply (acueducto) and sewerage (alcantarillado) services to residential, commercial, industrial, and government users in Cartago, Valle del Cauca and surrounding corregimientos. Operations span raw water capture from the Rio La Vieja, conventional treatment at two plants (650 L/s combined capacity), distribution through a 214 km network, sewerage collection across 277.5 km of pipelines, and wastewater treatment at plants serving the Zaragoza and Guayabal districts. Service access is provided through physical offices, digital channels (PSE online payments, Mi Turno appointments, damage reporting, bill lookup, and citizen complaint portals), and bank correspondents.
Is Emcartago a public or private company?
Emcartago is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Emcartago founded?
Emcartago was founded in -1. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Emcartago based?
Emcartago is headquartered in Cartago, Colombia, in the Latin America region.
How does Emcartago make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Water Supply (Acueducto) Services are the primary driver. The others are sewerage (Alcantarillado) Services, connection and Reconnection Fees and payment Processing.
Who are Emcartago's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Aguas Andinas S.A. and SABESP. Veolia Colombia is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Aguas de Manizales S.A. E.S.P., Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Bogotá (EAAB), Triple A (Aguas de Barranquilla), Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) and Aguas de Pereira.
Does Emcartago have an API?
No public API is recorded for Emcartago.
What industry is Emcartago in?
Emcartago's product category is Water and Wastewater Utilities. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAMAA, Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks), with a secondary code of EUANAEAG, Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control & Compliance (Storage, Separation, Treatment). Its NAICS code is 2213 and its SIC code is 4941.