The drought affecting the country has now begun to be felt in the National District. The Corporation for Aqueducts and Sewers of Santo Domingo (CAASD) announced it has begun to implement a water-rationing action plan.
The lack of rain has caused a significant decline in the water the main storage systems are receiving. The water level in the dams and aqueducts that service the capital city is now below normal.
The main systems affected in the CAASD area are the Haina, Isa, Mana, Duey and Isabela rivers. Alejandro Montás, director general of the CAASD, said that water supply to the Greater Santo Domingo from these sources has declined from 420 million gallons a day to 369 million gallons.
The CAASD released a list of neighborhoods that will be affected by the water rationing. These include:
Invi Sur, Miramar, Solimar, Dominicanos Ausentes, Urbanización Tropical, El Cacique, Ciudad Nueva and Costa Brava.
Invi Norte, Buenos Aires del Mirador, Alfimar, Atala Portal, Honduras, Mata Hambre, La Julia, Roca Mar, San Miguel, Los Kilómetros, Jardines del Sur, Ensanche La Paz, Los Cacicazgos, Mirador Sur y Norte, Bella Vista, El Millón, Los Millones, Los Prados, Piantini, Serrallés, Quisqueya, Naco, Paraíso, Villa Francisca, San Carlos, Don Bosco, El Timbeque, San Carlos, Borojol, San Miguel, Gazcue and San Lázaro.
The CAASD says areas that piped water supply service will be cut to four days a week for areas that had received the service seven days a week. Those that previously had five days service will receive three days. Service to areas receiving four days will be cut to two.
Montás says that 125 water tanker trucks will be available. He urged the population to ration their use of water.
Meanwhile, the National Meteorological Service (Onamet) says there will be scant rain through May of this year. The forecast is that the drought situation will continue in the northwest, south and southwest through the next 60 days. The drought has severely affected farming activities and water supply in those regions.
The director of the National Hydraulic Resources Institute, Olgo Fernandez says the nation did not prepare for the extreme dry spell. He said it is the worst drought in 50 years. Only two of 34 dams have adequate water levels.
The Caribbean Drought & Precipitation Monitoring Network reports: “A weak El Niño currently exists, contributing to the continued drier than normal conditions in January 2019, particularly in the east and south of the region. Short term drought that impacts soil moisture and surface water resources is already being felt in some countries, and there is the likelihood for long term drought, that can impact groundwater, large rivers and reservoirs, to evolve by May 2019.”
Read more:
El Dia
Diario Libre
Hoy
El Dia
Diario Libre
El Caribe
Diario Libre
Caribbean Drought Bulletin
12 March 2019