A man carrying empty water cans on a street in Beirut. (Credit: AFP/File photo)
BEIRUT — Running water has been completely cut off for the two past days in Saida and its surroundings, in South Lebanon, our correspondent in the area reported on Thursday. Speaking to residents of the area, the South Lebanon Water Establishment explained that this outage is due to the lack of electricity to operate the water pumps.
In a statement, the public provider said that the cut in the running water supply is due to "a stoppage of electricity utilities suffered by many Lebanese regions, which impacts the infrastructure of the office, the main production stations, wells and all distribution stations." It called on users to "ration their water consumption until the power stations are back in operation, to restore a normal supply."
Lebanese cities are often subject to water cuts that can last several days. In a Lebanon mired in the worst economic crisis in its history since the Civil War (1975-90), such supply cuts arise frequently. Suppliers often point to a lack of electricity and resources, as well as poor working conditions and stolen equipment.
Last November, the South Lebanon Water Establishment announced that the running water supplied by most of its stations had ben cut off "due to instability of the supply" of electricity. During the same period, residents of Beirut and Metn suffered severe water shortages also due to power cuts at the Dbayeh station, following a theft of electrical cables.
Additional reporting contributed by Mountasser Abdallah