A five-foot water pipe leading to the filtering and distribution station of La Noriega that serves the Santiago Water and Sewer Corporation (Coraasan) as well as the Dura Moca water treatment plant in Moca, exploded in the hamlet of La Zanja in the municipality of Sabana Iglesia in Santiago province.
The massive break partially destroyed or damaged at least four houses in the area, cut off ground communications in the immediate area, and knocked out the water supply for the Central Cibao System that supplies water to Moca, Tamboril and Santiago de los Caballeros.
The break happened near noon on Christmas Day. There were no human injuries or fatalities. Authorities immediately declared the area to be a disaster zone and heavy equipment and technicians were on the scene in the shortest of time.
Close to a million people were left without water. Coraasan has stated that they will repair the damages done to several houses in the area of the break.
The unofficial explanation is that an alleged inaction turned a minor leak into the massive pipeline explosion impacting 800,000 in Santiago. The government says it will cover the household damages of the families most impacted.
Press reports indicate the population in the impacted areas had months warning the authorities at the Santiago water aqueduct system. The Coraasan was not listening. Then there was the explosion of the main pipeline that carries 5 cubic meters of water per second, impacting the aqueducts of Dura Moca and Cibao Central, and leaving more than 800,000 persons without service.
The rupture occurred at 11:20am on Christmas Day, 25 December 2025.
The government ordered the area to be in emergency state and sent heavy equipment and technical staff to the area.
As reported, the minor leaks in the major water main reportedly went unaddressed until culminating in the catastrophic rupture that flooded homes in the La Zanja community and left approximately 60% of the province’s population without water service.
According to local residents, the incident began with what appeared to be a minor fissure in the pipeline. Hoy reports neighbors had reported the leakages and pipe problems for months. Initially, water spilled onto the public roadway without causing significant alarm. However, as time passed without intervention, the water pressure intensified significantly, eventually eroding the soil and causing the infrastructure to fail.
As reported in Hoy, Coraasan recognizes the problem had been reported and said the repairs were scheduled to start on 10 January 2026.
The accumulated pressure resulted in a massive crater near several residences in La Zanja. The pipeline subsequently collapsed, unleashing a torrent of high-pressure water, mud, and debris that inundated streets, patios, and interiors of nearby homes.
Residents were forced to evacuate quickly to avoid a potential tragedy. Community leaders report that at least eight families suffered direct damages due to the flooding.
The Santiago Water and Sewer Corporation (Coraasan) stated that the break occurred in a 60-inch post-tensioned concrete raw water adduction line. This critical infrastructure feeds the Cibao Central Aqueduct.
While community estimates place the number of affected families at eight, Coraasan’s official assessment acknowledges damage to four homes. The institution emphasized that there were no fatalities.
In a statement, Coraasan General Director Andrés Cueto announced that the corporation assumes full responsibility for the incident. Under his instructions, the agency has pledged to compensate victims for damages to physical infrastructure, household goods, and furniture.
The rupture has precipitated a major water crisis in the region. To facilitate repairs, Coraasan has suspended water service, reportedly impacting an estimated 800,000 people. The outage affects the municipalities of Puñal, Licey al Medio, and Tamboril, as well as the majority of the municipality of Santiago de los Caballeros and the La Dura sector of Moca.
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29 December 2025