Citizens line up for undrinkable water -diarrhea cases escalating

(NewsRoomPanama) If you are one of the unfortunate million Panamanian residents lining up on the street to collect a bucket of water from an IDAAN delivery truck, take care. Don’t drink it, or use it to brush your teeth.

 

Panama’s Minister of Health, Franklin Vergara warned on Tuesday, December 11 that the water is not fit for human consumption unless it has been filtered through a piece of white cloth, and then boiled for five minutes.

 

While no bacteria have been detected in the water, the sediment it holds contains metal and algae debris.

 

On Monday, 250 diarrhea cases were reported at one hospital in the December 24 area, and that figure is likely to rise if the water shortage continues.

 

Businesses including hotels, and restaurants have been hit by water shortage, and there have been calls for the resignation or firing of the head of the country’s water and sewage authority, as the problem enters its 35th day.

 

The continuing turbidity in the lake holding the water that supplies the two processing plants in Chilibre is blamed. Earlier reports mentioned that the cutting down of trees around the lake, allowing rain water to erode the soil, was a contributing factor to the problem.

 

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Original Source: newsroompanama.com

Date Retrieved: January 11, 2011.