MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Overflowed rivers leave Santiago short of drinking water

Vast areas of metropolitan Santiago de Chile have no water or in short supply forcing education authorities to close schools, government and private.

Water supply has been drastically diminished given the turbidity of the sourcing rivers following torrential rains after months of drought. The Santiago Sanitary Services Office cautioned about the quality of water suggesting it is advisable to boil drinking water. Education authorities announced that schools will remain closed in at least nine of south Santiago communes. Water supplier Aguas Andinas reported that some of the processing plants had been shut down given the excess turbidity of the Maipo and Mapocho rivers from where the plants are supplied. However the company said that the current situation "does not affect the quality of water supplied in Santiago" adding the situation was limited to the nine communes to the south of the Chilean capital. But "there could be pressure difficulties" in the rest of the city. Aguas Andinas experts are monitoring in situ current circumstances of the Maipo river. Municipal officials and staff are coordinating the supply of drinking water to hospitals with the help of the Ministry of Health and city authorities. Santiago officials have also organized a contingency plan with a fleet of trucks with water tanks ready to supply critical areas. Finally sanitary authorities said that under current "exceptional circumstances" there's not enough water for the whole city so they request residents to limit water consumption thus avoiding having to appeal to supply cuts.