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Cuba’s energy crisis is leaving taps dry for nearly 3 million people

Cuba’s water system is running on about 37% of the fuel it requires, while up to 70% of Havana’s water is lost to leaks before reaching households, the Guardian reports.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Europe

Power outages tied to Cuba’s worsening energy crisis are also disrupting access to water, leaving many households without reliable running taps, according to the Guardian Business. In Havana, residents described spending hours fetching, storing, and rationing water as electricity shortages prevent pumping stations from operating and fuel shortages persist.

The Guardian Business reports that Cuba’s National Institute of Hydraulic Resources estimates nearly 3 million people are having difficulty accessing water. The outlet also says the country’s water system is operating with about 37% of the fuel it requires, and that up to 70% of Havana’s water is lost through leaks before it reaches homes.

With less electricity and fuel to move water, families rely on deliveries, hauling water themselves, or paying informal carriers, the Guardian Business reported. The story adds that wealthier households can afford private water trucks, while others ration water for cooking, washing, and laundry and take steps like boiling and filtering what they can get.

The Guardian Business also links the latest worsening in the crisis to earlier this year, when Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president, was captured by US forces. The suspension of oil exports from Venezuela, Cuba’s main fuel supplier, deepened fuel shortages already exacerbated by the US embargo and economic sanctions, the outlet said.

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