The Santo Domingo Water and Sewer Corporation (CAASD) says that 54% of all the drinking water that they produce for the city and province of Santo Domingo is lost through leaks, breakages and waste. With most of the pipes ageing (between 30 and 40 years old) and high costs, the system is under strain. According to the CAASD director, Alejandro Montas, who took part in the monthly Economic Breakfast media event at El Caribe, the CAASD produces 350 million gallons of water a day, but only 25% of the people pay for their water. Because of this critical situation, the corporation has begun a program of installing water meters, with the help of the Inter American Development Bank (IDB). The program covers some 200,000 new meters over two years. In Santo Domingo East they have already installed some 12,000 of the 20,000 meters programmed for that part of the city.