A man carrying empty water gallons in Beirut. (Credit: AFP/archive photo)
BEIRUT — Running water is completely cut off in the localities of Metn, the Beirut neighborhoods of Tallet el-Khayat and Bourj Abi Haidar, and in Bourj Hammoud at the northern entrance of the capital, the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Authority announced in a Friday statement.
The cutoffs are reportedly due to a lack of electricity since midnight Wednesday. The statement added that power cuts affected the proper functioning of the pumping stations of Mechref, Naameh, Damour, Jeita and Dbayeh.
"We normally resort to generators, except that this process can only cover part of the demand, especially since working generators for long hours is expensive," the authority said. "We call on officials to give priority to the interests of the population and find permanent solutions."
Running water has also been cut off for several days in Saida and its surroundings in South Lebanon.
Addressing consumers, the region's water board explained Thursday that the shortages are due to "a stoppage of public electricity services from which many Lebanese regions suffer, which has an impact on the infrastructure of the authority, the main production stations, wells and all distribution stations."
The South Lebanon Water Authority called on users to "ration their water consumption until the power stations are back up."
Lebanese cities are often subject to water cuts that can last several days as the country is mired in one of the worst economic crises in its history.
Suppliers often point to a lack of electricity and resources, as well as poor working conditions and stolen equipment, to explain the ever-growing water shortages.