Volume of Dammed Water Diminishes in Camagüey

Despite the rains of last days, the volume of stored water in Camagüey, continues to fall, due to the severe drought that disrupts the province even in epoch of precipitations. The region is 93 % of rainfall compared with the historical average of the month, for an accumulated close to 147 millimeters. Also, the downpours caused by the wreckages of the tropical thunderstorm Erika did not turn out to be significant.

The 54 dams of Camagüey have a storage capacity superior to one thousand 200 million cubic meters of water, the second one in the country, but today, they have little more than 25 % of their capacity, which obliges to reinforce the savings measures.

In recent visit to the territory, Miriam Valdés Pérez, national director of the Research and Hydraulic Projects Group, examined the implemented strategies and advised to pare down the supply cycles in the areas of highest need in order to preserve the biggest feasible amount of water before the arrival of the dry season.

Also, the specialist did a call to adopt the necessary measures in the most consuming organisms, like healthcare and educational facilities.

The are 50 villages administered by the aqueduct networks that are affected, essentially in the municipalities of Santa Cruz del Sur, Sibanicú, Jimaguayú, Vertientes and Nuevitas. For these critical cases, measures like reduction of the pumping time and water supply by cistern trucks are applied.

The general tendency of the ground waters´ levels of the territory is declining, and according to the prognoses of the local Center of Meteorology, in September, rainfalls may be lower than historical levels of accumulated rain.