Richard Martinez, director of the Santo Domingo Potable Water Corporation (CAASD) explained that Santo Domingo residents need to prepare for the inconvenience of the installation of new water pipes throughout the city. He told El Caribe that for the next 12 months several city streets will be dug up to install the pipes. He announced that 78 barrios, from slum areas to upscale neighborhoods, would be affected. The program to replace the pipes that supply water to the southern areas of Santo Domingo at a cost of RD$340 million was begun in June 2004 and will continue into next year.