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October 21, 2019 02:05 pm

Venezuela's Water System is Collapsing

In Venezuela, a crumbling economy and the collapse of even basic state infrastructure means water comes irregularly -- and drinking it is an increasingly risky gamble. Venezuela's current rate of infant mortality from diarrhea, which is closely related to water quality, is six times higher than 15 years ago, according to the World Health Organization. From a report: But the government stopped releasing official public health data years ago. So The New York Times commissioned researchers from the Universidad Central de Venezuela to recreate the water quality study they had conducted regularly for the water utility in Caracas from 1992 until 1999. The scientists found that about a million residents were exposed to contaminated supplies. This puts them at risk of contracting waterborne viruses that could sicken them and threatens the lives of children and the most vulnerable. "This is a potential epidemic," said Jose MarÃa De Viana, who headed Caracas's water utility, Hidrocapital, until 1999. "It's very serious. It's unacceptable." In the latest study, 40 samples were taken from the capital's main water systems and tested for bacteria and for chlorine, which keeps water safe. The study also tested alternative water sources used by city residents during supply outages. One third of the samples did not meet national norms. This should have required Hidrocapital to issue a sanitation alert, according to the utility's own internal regulations. But Venezuela's government has not issued any alerts at least since President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist Party took power 20 years ago. "The biggest health risk that we see there right now is water -- water and sanitation," the head of the International Federation of the Red Cross, Francesco Rocca, told foreign reporters this week, referring to Venezuela.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.


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