Water crisis and blackouts felt in the Cibao region of Dominican Republic

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed dozens of people and thousands are infected, the drinking water crisis is worsening in the city of Santiago, Moca, and other neighboring towns, which worries doctors and their settlers.

Added to this problem are the power cuts in different sectors of the city of Santiago, while the Northern Energy Distribution Company (Edenorte) attributes them to breakdowns in various circuits.

Regarding water, users of the service estimate that now more than ever they need the liquid in their homes to maintain personal hygiene and their environment, as established by the health protocol for the new coronavirus.

Technicians from the Santiago Aqueduct and Sewer Corporation (Coraasan) told the DAILY LISTING that there is a decrease of 30 million gallons of water daily, due to the heat and the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the water distribution institution says that it maintains the service vectorizing program in the different neighborhoods, urbanizations, residential and communities. In some popular neighborhoods, their neighbors reported that they do not receive water service for up to a week. Community leader Andrea Adames stated that in the Beijing sector and others in the southern zone, the water lasts up to seven days that does not arrive through the pipes.

He explained that when they send it out it is in the early morning hours and for an hour and that people have to rush to store it in containers.

He complained that there is a shortage of water in the midst of a pandemic that in Santiago does not relent. “People have to bathe, wash their hands, wash their clothes, but there is no water,” he complained.

Faced with the serious crisis in the supply of the liquid, many tank trucks sell a 30-50 gal. drum in neighborhoods and communities for 80 and 100 pesos.