Water Problem - People Taking it to the Street

When there is a drought water levels in rivers and streams decrease. This water crisis is expected
to continue unless a tropical storm develops that can alleviate the drought.


Dominicans Deal with Water Shortages, Power Outages

SANTO DOMINGO – An acute water shortage due to the ongoing drought, albeit largely restricted to Santo Domingo, is adding to the other difficulties caused in the Dominican Republic’s capital by power outages in recent days.

The drought has reduced river levels and thus caused a drop in the supply of potable water for dozens of neighborhoods located in the southeastern and northwestern parts of the capital.

The Santo Domingo Water and Sewer Corporation, or CAASD, said Saturday it would ration water in those neighborhoods and called on the public to “considerably” reduce their consumption as a way to help resolve the problem as quickly as possible.

CAASD said that it ordered the diversion of water into the aqueducts that supply the sectors affected by the shortage, and it will also distribute free drinking water to the public in cistern trucks.

The sectors most affected by the water shortage include Los Alcarrizos, Herrera, Bayona, Las Caobas, Pantoja, Los Peralejos, Las Palmas, Isabela and others in the northwestern part of the capital, as well as Naco, Kennedy, Gazcue, Honduras, Loteria and Las Flores located in the south and southeast.

CAASD said that its workers are devoting their efforts to correcting leaks in the pipelines, adding that they will take “drastic” measures against people and institutions that misuse water.

The water shortage is hitting Dominicans simultaneously with the falloff in electricity service, which affected half the capital on Friday.

The new crisis is also affecting the seat of government, which on Wednesday experienced a 30-minute blackout just as an official event attended by President Leonel Fernandez and first lady Margarita Cede?o was getting under way.

Utility officials blame the problem on the fact that several power plants have gone offline, but they say that the situation is under “control.”

Latin American Herald Tribune - Dominicans Deal with Water Shortages, Power Outages

cjewell said:

Also what does this mean to the gringos who are in Batey with their pools and showers while down the road people haven't hardly had any water in weeks? Gee could that create resentment - my guy says no... I know if it were we I would be ****ed.

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those gringos pay for their water and they pay dearly. there were few threads lately about people having to buy water by trucks, in some areas it can be 3,000 pesos per truck. other gringos have wells they had dug at considerable cost.

there has been a long lasting drought in DR. this hurricane season has been very quiet, in one and a half months there has been no significant rainfall encompassing entire country and the shortage is so severe that even the recent rains in the south did not help. the infrastructure is also pretty bad and recently an article in listin diario that 73% of water in DR is "lost" because of the lack of reservoirs to collect it: El 73% de las aguas del pa?s se pierden - listindiario.com

of course this whole situation contributes to chikunguanya and dengue: since there is so little water people store whatever water they get/buy, often in open containers, outside. i understand the government is sending water trucks to poor barrios where it is distributed by buckets/barrels. this will not get any better if we do not get any rain. coraaplata cannot redistribute water from better and newer installations to the old ones. as for new investments, probably there are other priorities.but i read that carnival will sponsor aqueduct benefiting areas close to the port. maybe this prolonged lack of water will bring results in assigning news budget for 2015...

cjewell said:

DV - does the truck deliveries and wells apply to people with houses and the condo and apartment complex's? Just curious. I have never paid for water or been charged a surcharge in my rent for water. I never even really gave any thought to where it is coming from.
(...)
Do you think the cost of those big blue jugs of water will go up?

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put it like this: houses in better areas as well as apartment complexes have underground cisterns for water storage. the city may deliver water once or twice a week but since it fills the cistern there is usually enough water. people may also pool (pun not intended) for few trucks of water.

rent usually does not include water because it is delivered at a flat rate. here in costambar we pay 477 pesos a month. in a barrio where we lived for a while our neighbours paid 150 pesos a month. different areas have different prices.

bottled water guys have preferential deals with coraaplata for water delivery. they will always have priority. they rise prices occasionally but it's less connected to droughts and more to energy prices and other production costs (salaries).

so no worries. when looking for a suitable place for your business check for cistern and tinaco (those huge black tanks on the roof) and remember to organize "cage" for bottled water so that you always have a backup of both.

I live in Costambar and we have not had regular water for many many months... we are forced to buy truck loads. The first 4 years I was here we got water a couple of times a week now for the last couple of years its a crap shoot. Time to look into a well I think

Here in Jarabacoa we've actually had a little bit of rain, but not much. Water leaks are everywhere and people let their water run down the street all the time. We shower by 6:30 am and water pressure and volume are usually almost non-existent from 7 am until 6 pm. River levels are down but hardly down to drought levels, yet.

i live in costambar too and i see water trucks every single day. but we get water delivered few times a week. there is only two of us and no pool so water consumption is low. we have no issues. but lots of people are digging wells here...

Guys, let's be realistic and this may be off topic but:
Global warming is REAL and is happening ALL over the world. It WILL affect the Caribbean and best be prepared. With every passing season, droughts will increase, rains will last longer in particular regions not prepared for it. It's just what is and sticking your head in the proverbial sand, will not make it go away.

Buy all your supplies in bulk. Water in the DR is going to be a challenge, just as electricity is, so buy it in bulk.
Avoid any craziness that may transpire if rain water is late in coming.

Derfish said:

For 400 pesos one can get a truck to deliver several hundred gallons of water. Our tinacos hold about 300 gallons. 400 pesos is almost $10.00 USD and I realize there are people who cannot scrape up $10 on a good day.
Der Fish

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water trucks in sosua sell the water more expensive.

Yes a friend in Perla Marina, where the water supply has been bad, on and off, paid $3000 pesos for a truck of water 2 weeks ago!

Derfish said:

Call one of the Puerto Plata ones. I'm sure they wouldn't charge $50 USD extra to make a half hour run.

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not gonna happen. separate sindicates. no one in POP is going to risk having their truck burned to the ground just to deliver water to sosua. i spoke to a guy running a water truck company here in POP...

dv8 said:

not gonna happen. separate sindicates. no one in POP is going to risk having their truck burned to the ground just to deliver water to sosua. i spoke to a guy running a water truck company here in POP...

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absolutely true. he would not make it past Montellano..

Derfish said:

For 400 pesos one can get a truck to deliver several hundred gallons of water. Our tinacos hold about 300 gallons. 400 pesos is almost $10.00 USD and I realize there are people who cannot scrape up $10 on a good day.
Der Fish

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Cost me 1400 to fill my cisterna and tinaco in SD and i dont know any company that does it under 1200-1300.

We got water now everyday, but in the past 3 months had to call several truck because we where getting absolutely nada from the street


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dont know why they think we are not affected in el batey but we do watch our cisternas to preserve the water maybe if the 2 million people who dont pay monthly for the water were to pay there could be enough money to look at alternatives

if you can, build you own cistern, 1500 gallons plus, buy your water and also run the gutters(roof run off) through a filter into the tank. I foresee much more problems coming up regarding rainwater.

Also, cannot remember for sure, but is it not the case that anyone with a well has to provide water to others? i.e. cannot sell it. I cannot remember for sure.

yeah, asI said I cannot remember, but i thought it was the law here that you cannot own well water. Maybe someone else knows more.