Sedapal prepares for El Niño risks and conducts water maintenance in Lima

Sedapal, the water utility for Lima and Callao, is preparing for potential disruptions caused by the El Niño phenomenon. Minister of Housing, Construction, and Sanitation Mauricio Arnillas announced that a simulation will be conducted in October to evaluate the water system's readiness against heavy rains and mudslides (huaicos). This exercise aims to prevent service interruptions similar to those in 2017, when high turbidity in the Rímac River left 27 districts without water.

In preparation, officials have inspected strategic infrastructure, including cleaning and desilting operations along six kilometers of the Rímac River near La Atarjea, maintenance at the La Atarjea Water Treatment Plant, and the Metropolitan SCADA system for real-time monitoring.

Separately, Sedapal is carrying out scheduled maintenance and reservoir cleaning in various districts. These routine works involve temporary water service suspensions to modernize storage and distribution infrastructure. To mitigate the impact of these cuts, the utility has deployed water tankers to the most affected areas.