interior

Water woes divide remote villages

Isabel Castro/LA PRENSA

survival: Residents of remote regions in the Darién weather the dry season by collecting rainwater in 55-gallon drums 1089843

Water has been a concern for residents in the remote community of El Zapallal for as long as the town’s old folks remember.

The town, deep in the Darién, once had access to water supplied by an aqueductin helped to built. Not long after it was finished, however, the two neighboring indigenous communities, began to complain that there was not enough water for all three communities, and cut off the town from the aqueduct.

El Zapallal has gone it alone ever since. During the rainy season, residents collect as much rainwater as they can in 55-gallon containers. This water is used for everything from household purposes to drinking water.

But the real problems arise during the dry season, when water is scarce for long stretches of time, and the stores must last. But the government’s recent proposal to build a water purification plant may solve some of those problems.

“We truly hope with the construction of the water treatment plant, this situation is brought to an end, in a few months and we finally are able to have water in our homes,” said El Zapallal resident Crecemcia Zuñiga. “We know the project is late, but we can’t argue, as there is no other hope for the community.”

Health official Fidel Valencia said that although El Zapallal an many other communities in the region, have trouble finding water, due to the lack of proper sources of water, the problem must be resolved with the construction of the new water treatment plant that will feed the populations of Yaviza, Arimae, La Cantera, Río Iglesias, up to Puerto Kimball. “We’re aware of the situation,” he said. “And we keep an eye on issues such as chlorine levels in the water that is distributed in these communities.

Jaime Rodríguez a water distributor for El Zapallal, Santa Fe, Quebrada Honda, La Colonia, and other communities, said that he built his own water pump at La Cantera and installed a sewage system but before beginning distribution the Gorgas Institute of the Ministerio de Salud analyzed it, and ensure the good quality of the water. As part of the process, to ensure water quality, the Health Center of Santa Fe, performs three yearly inspections of the pump and equipment. Rodríguez distributes water only during dry season, because the rest of the year the rain, he said, resolves the situation on its own.

Other residents of the region, confirmed that the conditions of water in La Cantera, are very poor, where there residents suffer from parasites, stomach pains and skin diseases.