Cuba addresses water supply crises in Havana and Pinar del Río

Authorities in Cuba are addressing persistent water supply crises in Pinar del Río and Havana, driven largely by electrical instability and aging infrastructure. In Pinar del Río, the Provincial Bureau of the Communist Party acknowledged a failure to provide timely information to citizens and noted that service remains highly criticized despite an investment exceeding 100 million pesos. Officials cited a lack of equipment, insufficient electrical power for pumping, and operational mismanagement as primary causes for the instability.

In Havana, President Miguel Díaz-Canel has set a deadline for the end of September to see initial results from a plan to improve water distribution. The strategy aims to reduce dependence on the national electrical grid, which currently fails to provide the 10 to 12 hours of continuous stability required for hydraulic systems to function.

The proposed solutions include deploying generator sets to support 29 water sources and exploring distributed generation. Long-term goals involve transitioning to renewable energy sources, such as solar parks, to maintain pumping capabilities during prolonged blackouts. Authorities also aim to improve the economic conditions of waterworks companies to attract younger workers to the sector.