The director of the Corporaci?n de Acueductos y Alcantarillados de Santo Domingo (CAASD), the capital city?s water and sewage department, says that between 500 and 600,000 cubic meters of water are wasted every day, costing the CAASD RD$2 million a day or RD$750 million a year. Speaking for the CAASD, Julio Suero Marranzini said that half of the water supplied by Valdesia Dam is lost due to leakage. The Valdesia Dam generates about 16 cubic meters of water per second and is the most important water source to the capital city.
Suero Marranzini said the money lost could be used to build a new and much needed dam on the Haina River, however he hopes that Dominicans will start rationing their use of water following the installation of the new water meters. He said that 35,000 meters have already been installed in the project that will see a total of 105,000 new meters installed over the next three years.
While water problems are nothing new in a city that has been plagued by water troubles for generations, Diario Libre says the average person in Santo Domingo is consuming three times the world standard. Daily consumption, per capita, is 937 liters (almost 250 gallons). In the United States, 50 gallons per person per day is considered standard residential usage.
