The Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (CAASD) reported that, as a result of the decrease in rainfall that has affected the country since last November, there has been a deficit of around 73.48 million gallons per day in water production drinkable, for which reason he called on the population to make rational use of the precious liquid.
Engineer Luis Salcedo, from the CAASD Operations Area, assured that this entity is working to guarantee the maintenance of the aqueduct service in the face of a scenario that, according to forecasts from the National Meteorological Office, can last until the first week of May.
Salcedo explained that the drastic reduction in rainfall has caused a deficit in water production, going from 442.56 million gallons per day in January 2023 to 369.08 million gallons today. He said that this, in turn, implies a decrease in the flow of the Haina, Duey, Isa, Mana, Isabela, Nizao and Ozama rivers, sources that supply the main aqueducts.
In this regard, he pointed out that this period of drought that affects the country on a regular basis has been worsened by the negative effects of the “El Niño” phenomenon, which is produced by a warming of the Pacific Ocean and causes a decrease in rainfall in all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The official stated that the CAASD will issue weekly reports to keep the population informed about the development of the water situation, which is vital for human consumption and agricultural production.
In this sense, he recommended that the population take some measures to save water. “We must be aware that this is a situation that impacts the entire country, which is why we call on citizens to become aware and make rational use of water. We can all save water, in our home, in our business or in the field. Consuming less water today will allow us to have more water tomorrow”, stated the engineer.
The official assured that the CAASD will continue to make every effort so that the country overcomes this situation of drought, for which he considers it important that all Dominicans understand that this will only be possible with everyone’s effort.
palliative measures
Faced with this situation, the entity has implemented a set of measures in order to mitigate its impact on the population, among which are:
· Increase in the fleet of private tanker trucks so that, together with those of the CAASD, increase the distribution of drinking water in the most affected sectors.
· Well equipment that is available in the most affected sectors.
· Rescheduling of water distribution operations.
· Intensification of damage correction work to minimize water losses in our infrastructure.
· Call to citizens through written, radio, television and social media to make rational use of water, using it only for essential domestic tasks, in such a way as to avoid unnecessary washing of vehicles and watering of plants.
· Permanent operation by CAASD technical staff 24 hours a day, in order to guarantee that this contingency plan is executed as planned so that citizens are impacted as little as possible by this drought.