Haiti - Reconstruction : Improved access to drinking water in Cité Soleil
In Cité Soleil, two pumping stations have been put back into operation after renovation work by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in close cooperation with the competent authorities. After six months of work they have been transferred to the National Water Supply and Sanitation (DINEPA) under the supervision of the Technical Operations Centre for the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Region (CTE RMPP). This rehabilitation will improve access to drinking water of some 200 000 inhabitants.
The stations will supply water not only for Cité Soleil residents but also for other parts of Port-au-Prince connected to the water distribution network, which now has a capacity of over 320 cubic metres of water per day. Fifteen litres of water per person per day should be available to Cité Soleil residents at a very reasonable price.
Iin addition to the two pumping stations, 14 public water points have been rebuilt and five others are undergoing repair. In addition, 10 new upgrades are set to be carried out before the end of the year.
Enhancing access to drinking water helps to improve sanitary conditions in Cité Soleil and to prevent such water-borne diseases as cholera, which has been plaguing Haiti since October of last year. The ICRC has played an active part in the struggle against the epidemic since it first took hold. The organization has distributed 3.8 million water purification tablets and over 800 kilograms of chlorine to residents and to the owners of private water distribution points and basins in Cité Soleil.
