The First Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman visited Matanzas to seek solutions to the water supply issues affecting 265,000 residents, according to a report this Sunday from the television center TV Yumurí.
Matanzas holds the second place among Cuban provinces with the highest number of people affected by the lack of regular access to water, just behind Artemisa. Authorities attribute the crisis to power outages and a deficit in electricity generation, which hinder the operation of pumping systems.
Chapman arrived accompanied by the director of the Electric Union, Rubén Campos Olmos, and executives from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources. During a work meeting, she acknowledged that there are "many problems," although she maintained that it is possible to recover the supply sources despite the country's economic situation.
"We must first identify the main sources in the provincial capital and in the municipalities," stated the official, who called for an assessment of the wells, the pumping systems, the condition of the generators, and the fuel requirements. She also urged the establishment of deadlines to restore each source.
He also stated that in the western province "there is water and called for the use of surface water sources and delivering water by gravity to take advantage of the land elevation and the benefits of nature," the source specified.
The government plan aims to gradually restore supply in the cities of Matanzas and Cárdenas, as well as in the remaining municipal capitals. However, the announced measures depend on repairs and energy solutions for systems that cannot operate stably due to the difficulties with the electricity supply.
In the provincial capital, the Bello, El Conde, Canímar, San Juan, La Julia, and Camilitos systems have a permanent energy backup. The Bello system has a capacity of 500 liters per second. Additionally, the connection of the pumping stations in Zona Media and Pedraja to an express power line has recently been completed, an intervention that improves service in the Kilómetro, Los Mangos, and Simpson neighborhoods, the media outlet reported.
The director of the Provincial Water and Sewerage Company, Guillermo Cue Lugo, reported that they are working on recovering the La Julia system through five wells, which would provide an additional 200 liters per second to the city. A new well is also being drilled in Bello to increase pumping capacity.
The situation in Cárdenas highlights another vulnerability of the service. About 24,000 people receive water from the old La Cueva aqueduct, which lacks an energy backup. Chapman requested the installation of a generator to maintain pumping during the hours of operation of the national electric system.
Unión de Reyes, Martí, Perico, Colón, Jovellanos, and Los Arabos rank among the municipalities with the greatest challenges. During the meeting, it was proposed to repair generators, relocate operational equipment to the most in-need areas, connect pumping stations to express power lines, and take advantage of renewable energy sources.
"The goal is to ensure that water pumping to the population does not stop," stated Chapman, who emphasized the need to comprehensively analyze the supply sources, pumping systems, and distribution networks.
The visit to Matanzas took place after the Deputy Prime Minister conducted a similar initiative in Pinar del Río, where approximately 170,000 people are experiencing issues with regular water access, with 46 pumping units and six booster stations out of service, in addition to power outages exceeding 16 hours daily.
A few days ago, a report from the official newspaper El artemiseño highlighted that nearly one third of the residents of Artemisa municipality relying on hydraulic networks do not have access to the service, and described the situation as "very complicated."
The crisis exceeds the provincial level. The National Institute of Hydraulic Resources acknowledged that approximately 2.5 million Cubans have their access to drinking water affected, either partially or completely due to power outages.
In September, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the number could reach 3.5 million people.
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