The Water and Sewer Corporation of Santo Domingo (CAASD) intends to finish this year with having invested RD$10 billion in water works in the National District and Santo Domingo East, according to the director of the agency, Alejandro Montas. Montas also said that the issue of drinking water in Greater Santo Domingo could be solved by the end of the current Medina administration, once the Water Bill is passed in Congress. He said the bill has been stuck in Congress because of political conflicts.
The official explained that they have refurbished 12 water treatment plants and they have built seven more for improved water treatment, that serve about 47% of the population of Greater Santo Domingo.
He spoke of new water works to be implemented. He told the reporters from El Nacional newspaper that President Medina had approved the expansion of the East Aqueduct, an investment of US $97.3 million. Montas said that the waste treatment plants of Greater Santo Domingo will cost US$612 million. He added that the water treatment plant at La Zurza is nearly finished and will serve a population of 450,000 persons.
Montas also noted that only about 27% of the water that is supplied by the CAASD is actually paid for by customers. He said his agency collects about RD$110 million per month and their operating costs are more than RD$200 million. He said the CAASD has an electricity bill that is over RD$1.0 billion a year and they spend RD$30 million a month on purification chemicals, including aluminum sulfate and chlorine.
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El Nacional
29 November 2017
