Dominican Town Declares Emergency Amidst Two-Month Water Crisis

Padre Las Casas, Azua province, Dominican Republic, is facing a severe water crisis. The municipality declared a state of emergency after residents reported two months without potable water. When water service is briefly restored, residents say it's contaminated and unusable. One resident stated, "I have to pay 200 pesos for a tank of water; I need it for washing and bathing." The poor condition of the aqueduct is also a concern, with reports of Haitian nationals using it for their needs. Local officials are calling for a new aqueduct, stating, "We can't continue working with an aqueduct that brings water directly from the river to homes, full of sand and dirt." The situation is critical, and residents threaten further protests if the water issue isn't resolved.