Closer to home, Quito, Ecuador is struggling with its worst water crisis in 25 years. This crisis has become an unimaginable and deeply traumatic reality of life for nearly 400,000 residents. A very large and rapidly-moving landslide damaged a critical pipeline beyond repair. This prompted an emergency, cutting off the water supply to the southern parts of the city. The ongoing crisis continues to deprive many residents of dependable access to drinking water, pushing people to turn to substitutes that are growing in cost.
74-year-old resident Inés Castro is one of those who would be directly impacted. She is one of many thousands who are fighting to obtain clean water. Our Vice President, María José Pinto, has immediately been called to provide and mobilize assistance to the affected. In the interim, Mayor Pabel Muñoz remains hopeful that the city will have water service back online by this Sunday.
As this op-ed develops, new President Daniel Noboa has not issued an official statement regarding the crisis. This unprecedented silence is driving officials and citizens to distraction.
Emergency Response and Support Measures
In response to these urgent conditions, the Municipality of Quito has deployed its technical resources to respond to the emergency. Thus far, 71 water tankers have been deployed to bring immediate relief to those in need, and repairs are ongoing. In southern Quito, we have installed five inflatable hydrants and five inflatable ecosystems. To improve access, we set up three permanent water distribution points.
Mayor Muñoz highlighted the scale of the emergency response, stating, “This is the most serious water emergency Quito has ever faced, and it was caused by an extreme natural phenomenon. More than 500 people are working daily on this emergency. In the páramo or in the neighborhoods. At dawn, at night, or under the sun.”
As of Thursday of last week, workers had cleared 77% of the soil from the landslide location. Now, they are taking the lead on restoring the broken pipeline and on getting assistance to impacted residents. Their new solution is having deployed a portable water treatment plant to meet the community’s acute needs. This is key to addressing the new health challenges that will be born from the crisis.
Daily Struggles of Residents
The severe water crisis has driven people to extreme, avoidable measures. Tomás Chiguano, a local bricklayer, described his struggle: “We don’t have trash cans. We’re there carrying it in bags, and sometimes the bags come out torn.” His situation is emblematic of a much larger problem for those who do not have appropriate containers with which to carry water.
Inés Castro voiced her frustration while waiting for assistance, saying, “We’ve been waiting in line since morning, and no one has arrived.” The situation has prompted elderly residents like Erselinda Guilca to express their distress: “We’re old and can no longer carry heavy buckets of water. We have been here in this cold since morning, hungry. We don’t even have water to bathe.”
The stress of paying the bills has skyrocketed for countless households. Many residents cannot afford to pay $2 or $3 USD for public transportation even only to pick up water. This cost aggravates their struggles throughout the emergency.
Communication Gaps and Accountability
Mayor Muñoz has been highly critical of the failure of local leaders to present a united and honest front to the national government about the depths of the crisis. He questioned why there had not been more substantial contact with the Municipality or a presence at the Unified Command Post: “Why hasn’t there been contact with the Municipality? Why haven’t they been present at the Unified Command Post?”
The community’s anger is understandable, as people just trying to get by feel like they’ve been left in the lurch. A woman shared her exasperation over carrying water and paying for transportation: “We don’t have water to wash clothes. We’re tired of carrying it. Sometimes we pay $2 or $3 USD for the car to help us.”
With this situation still developing, advocacy continues to supply water and better communication between everyone on the ground. Although hopeful residents are claiming victory, it’s clear that a long, hard fight lies ahead.
