40.000 Still Without
Running Water
Thursday's earthquake
ahs left many
communities without
water and electricity
and the risk of an
epidemic. Areas like Los
Cartagos, Varablanca,
Fraijanes, Colonia Toro,
Cinchona, as well as
many other around the
Poás have yet to receive
potable water.
Authorities say that the
areas may continue
without running water
for the next three weeks
due to the fact that
many sources of water
have collapsed
completely from the
force of the quake. One
of those sources was the
La Chayotera that
supplied 60% of the
drinking water to the
affected area.
Making the repair
efforts more difficult
is the requirement of
entering private
property, having to ask
for permission of the
property owners, to get
to the damaged water
source.
La Chayotera is manager
by the Municipalidad de
Alajuela and is getting
help from the Instituto
Costarricense de
Acueductos y
Alcantarillados (AyA) to
get the water running as
soon as possible.
Municipal work crews
have been working on a
24 hours basis.
Joyce Zurcher, the mayor
of Alajuela, confirmed
that some 40.000 people
are still without water
and is asking residents
to be patient with the
municipality as they,
and other organizations,
are working feverishly
to get the water running
again.
Ricardo Sancho,
president of AyA, said
that they have been in
contact with the
municipality of Alajuela
immediately to offer
them help in making the
necessary repairs,
providing piping, tanks
and AyA's engineers to
co-ordinate the repairs.
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