More Water Leaks, Same Old Places

(Acapulco, NA 14 March) Once again, a water main has broken along the new “Bicentennial Overpass” on Cuauhtémoc in Acapulco. In the five months since the road opened, work crews have had to close it several times to repair broken water pipes. This time it was a 6-inch main near the Estrella de Oro bus terminal. CAPAMA has opened up several square meters of brand new pavement to uncover the place where the pipe burst. As usual, the reason given for the rupture was excessive water pressure. During the political campaign then-Mayor Ávila expressed the view that PRD operatives were sabotaging the pipes, to bring shame on the government of Manuel Añorve. The fact is that CAPAMA needs no assistance in that regard. The inadequate infrastructure has accomplished that for them.

CAPAMA does have a valid excuse for the lack of water service in the Diamond Zone, between Puerto Marqués and Coloso (and El Cayaco), because the 30-inch main was cut by the construction company that has been trying to build a cloverleaf at one of Acapulco´s busiest intersections. This was six days ago. Twice in four months they have cut water mains and at least once the job was shut down by the environmental authorities because they were dumping construction waste in a protected natural wetland. Yesterday the construction company, Consorcio Corporativo de Construcción S.A. de C.V., found two more punctures in the water supply system. The large leak was stopped, but only after it made a mud swamp out of the job site. Provisional repairs allowed service to be restored, but now thousands of households will be without water again for several days, while the three punctures are mended definitively. CAPAMA has said it will sue the construction company for damages.