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Published Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Almost $700,000 in damages for public
drinking water systems due to
Hurricane Eta
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The side effects of the passage of Hurricane Eta, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 over Central America, caused damages worth $698,190 for public drinking water systems, reported the Institute of Water.
According to the institute, the destruction of the drinking water system affected more than 78 thousand people throughout the country.
The most affected areas are the communities of San Miguel and Agua Buena, in Coto Brus Canton. As well as the community of Ciudad Neilly in Corredores Canton. These communities are located in the southern zone of the Puntarentas Province in the Pacific Coast.
In addition, other places with important disasters in the water systems are Orotina Canton in Alajuela Province, Manuel Antonio Beach, in Quepos Canton, Puntarenas Province.
Also, the destruction of the dam in the community of Quebradas in Pérez Zeledón Canton, located in the southern zone of San José Province.
Repairs have already begun in the communities of Ciudad Neilly and Agua Buena in Coto Brus Canton, budgeted at $160,036, the institute said in its statement.
In the case of the Agua Buena community, the drinking water service has not yet been restored for more than 7 thousand people, so the vital liquid is delivered in special water trucks. To restore water service, 120 meters of pipes must be installed, the institute said.
In the case of the Cuidad Neilly community, the institute workers have already started the process of installing 170 meters of new pipes.
A similar situation happened in Coto Brus Canton, where more than 32,000 people were affected by the interruption of the drinking water service. Of these affected, water service has been restored to 25,300 people.
Eta Hurricane also caused many road damages, informed the Ministry of Public Works this week.
According to the ministry, the hurricane caused at least $14,847,390 in damage to 296 highways destroyed by river overflows and landslides. Among the most recent repairs are:
A bridge over Route 934, between the
communities of Nosara Beach and
Barco Quebrado,
in Guanacaste, where they installed a Bailey
portable, pre-fabricated bridge, 40 meters
long and with a capacity to support 40 tons
of weight.
• The National Highway Council, COSEVI,
announced the start of the process to
rebuild the passage through Route 239, in Puriscal Canton.
On this route, there were landslides as a
result of the saturation of water in the
land.
• In the San Rosa National Park
sector, in Guanacaste Province, a stretch of
the road collapsed, so people from nearby
communities must travel by alternative roads
while the highway is rebuilt.
• Another sector destroyed is the passage
through the Cerro de la Muerte,
between the San Jose and Cartago provinces.
After the severe landslides, the pass was
closed for several days. Over the weekend
the ministry team continued with the repair
work. Officials of the Traffic Police
continue to regulate the passage of vehicles
through the area.
• Another partially destroyed highway is the
Interamericana Sur, specifically in the Palmar Norte
area. Authorities open to traffic in one
lane while road repairs continue.
• In addition, route 237 between the
communities of Ciudad Neily and
La Fuente, in
the southern zone of the country, has a
section of several meters completely
destroyed. Ministry workers continue on the
site to remove soil and rebuild the stretch
of road.
The road and bridge repair work could continue for the rest of this year, the ministry said in its statement.
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What have you heard of communities without potable water service due to the hurricane? We would like to know your
thoughts on this story. Send your comments
to news@amcostarica.com
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