Buenaventura faces extended water shortage after pipeline damage

Buenaventura, Colombia, is facing a severe water crisis as damage to a critical 39-inch pipeline has left more than half of the city without reliable access to the essential resource. This situation is particularly dire given that the port city has endured water rationing for approximately half a century, with residents accustomed to receiving water only every three days.

The damaged pipeline, located in the Córdoba district, supplies potable water to over 70% of Buenaventura's population, spanning 12 communes from the north to the south. The Society of Aqueduct, Sewerage, and Cleaning of Buenaventura (Saaab) is currently assessing the damage, which has disrupted the already infrequent service and extended the waiting period for water.

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It is a point where, let's say, repeated floods have eroded the embankment quite a bit, but there are also indications of, precisely, artisanal mining in the area.

According to Saaab coordinator Javier Herrera, the pipeline's location has been affected by repeated floods that have eroded the embankment. Additionally, there are indications of artisanal mining activities in the area potentially contributing to the structural problems. Saaab technicians are working on evaluating the situation and devising a technical solution that will prevent recurrence.

The affected neighborhoods are primarily within communes 1 through 11, with some areas in commune 12 also experiencing issues. Buenaventura is home to over 350,000 inhabitants. The ongoing disruption highlights the city's long-standing infrastructure challenges and the vulnerability of its water supply system.

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Here we can splice; what we are trying to analyze and to arrive at a lasting technical solution is how to support it so that it does not happen again in a near period.