Water scarcity forces Caasd to use 40 trucks

The Dominican Republic is grappling with a severe drought that has persisted for over five months, significantly impacting water availability in the Greater Santo Domingo region. The primary rivers and sources feeding the aqueducts are not receiving enough rainfall to replenish their levels.

Felipe Suberví, director of the Corporación del Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Santo Domingo (Caasd), stated that the lack of rain has caused disruptions in various sectors, with some communities facing water shortages for weeks. To address the crisis, Caasd is implementing measures such as maximizing existing sources, drilling new wells, and distributing water via tanker trucks.

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the lack of rain has caused interruptions and difficulties in different sectors, some of which have gone weeks with problems receiving the service.

Currently, daily water production stands at approximately 458 million gallons. The institution has already intervened in over 50 new wells and deployed an initial fleet of 16 tanker trucks. An additional 24 trucks are expected by the end of August, bringing the total to 40, to serve affected communities. Areas like Los Alcarrizos and Pedro Brand are among the most affected, experiencing extended periods without adequate water service.

Suberví emphasized the critical role of the Valdesia dam and its aqueduct system, which supply water to about 30-33% of the Greater Santo Domingo population. The situation highlights the vulnerability of the region's water supply to prolonged dry spells.

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the Caasd has had to resort to different measures to reduce the impact of the drought. Among them is the use of available sources, the drilling of new wells and the supply of liquid through tanker trucks.