Dominican Republic water supply crisis deepens as projects stall

Hundreds of families, businesses and schools in San Juan de la Maguana have been facing weeks without tap water, forcing residents to rely on tank trucks and private wells. The National Institute of Potable Water and Sewerage (INAPA) attributes the prolonged outage to limitations in the water system but has not issued an official explanation.

In the provinces of Moca and Gaspar Hernández, the political group Fuerza del Pueblo criticised the government for asking citizens to be patient about the water shortage. The group said the $43.5 million World Bank‑financed water and sanitation project, originally slated for completion in 2026, has been delayed to 2028 and its scope sharply reduced – water meters cut from 10,000 to 2,500, distribution networks from 50 km to 20 km, and beneficiary numbers lowered by thousands.

Both reports highlight ongoing infrastructure deficiencies and management failures that leave large segments of the Dominican population without reliable access to safe water.