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Authorities are running out of resources to ensure a regular water supply during summer.
For as long as anyone can remember, accessing water has been a struggle for the Lebanese people, as the authorities have never implemented a rational plan for water resource management. Water cuts are frequent, especially during summer, but rarely have they been as severe and prolonged as they are now. Yet, Lebanon is a country where water abounds! With the economic and financial crisis, water shortages have worsened, and unfortunately, there seems to be no solution in sight.
The majority of Lebanese people are caught in an economic and financial crisis that has led to a significant deterioration of living conditions, with intolerable water shortages and electricity cuts.
A UNICEF report reveals that, since the beginning of the crisis in 2019, per capita drinking water reserves have significantly decreased and have fallen below the threshold of 35 liters per day, which is considered the minimum acceptable.
A dysfunctional public service
Water agencies are meant to be public services, but they are not functioning as they should. The lack of electricity affects both potable water supply networks and treatment plants, since power is needed for water pumping and for operating water treatment plants. Subsequently, power outages are frequent, and water supply is scarce.
Many Lebanese households have had to rely on private companies and water trucking to fill their reservoirs.
The lack of funding for water authorities is further aggravating the situation. The fees for public network subscriptions remain minimal, and revenues generated from the sector are insufficient to cover operating expenses of the water agencies. The Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Authority has even warned that obtaining the necessary funds to repair a pumping station would be nearly impossible if it were to fail.
In June, sudden breakdowns occurred at the Zouk power plant, that led to shutting down the main water pumping station in Dbayeh, preventing water supply to all connected stations.
Beirut and several regions of Mount Lebanon were deprived of water for a week, and more recently for three days. The pumping station was then connected to another power plant in Bsalim. But what if this one fails as well? Water would no longer flow through the taps in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, especially because these water stations cannot operate on generators. Their functioning requires high-voltage electricity that generators cannot provide.
A while ago, the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Authority announced that it had to impose severe water rationing on the Lebanese people
Abundant resources, and yet…
However, Lebanon is a country with abundant water resources. Its snow-covered mountains contribute to 16 perennial rivers with an annual flow ranging from 2.151 to 3.9 billion cubic meters. But due to endemic corruption, poor management, and utilization and preservation policies for water reserves, the country ranked third on the list of countries most threatened by a shortage of drinking water, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI), even before the crisis in 2019.
At present, the authorities lack resources to ensure normal water distribution during summer. The outdated power plants, when they are operational, are under significant pressure due to high electricity consumption during the hot season.
There is no short-term solution on the horizon for the water crisis, and its socio-economic consequences are catastrophic. For many families, accessing water has become a daily struggle.
