Martinelli axe falls on water authority boss and board

Panama’s beleaguered  Water authority (IDAAN) saw Tuesday the second firing of a chief executive in a year and a presidential call for the resignation of the board.

The action came from President, Ricardo Martinelli, who handed  the operation of the water treatment plant in Chilibre to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). Martinelli made the announcement during a tour of the plant. The visit was due to the latest crisis that has surfaced with failed water production because of  high levels of  turbidity.
"No member of Idaan will enter the plant, only those previously authorized by the staff of the ACP," said Martinelli.
Adriano Espino, an official of the Panama Canal, was appointed as manager of the waterworks.
The president said that the plant "should never have stopped working" last weekendbecause of work on the Metro. He would not let professional jealousy  of the ACP  by Idaan officials let  people run out of water.
ACP administrator Alberto Zubieta German, said the plant remains  with  Idaan and that they are only temporarily taking  over its administration. 
The director of Idaan, Abdiel Cano, said his office is available to the president. 
The chairman of the board of Idaan, Jose Antonio Diaz, said  the board will meet on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the ACP  and the Ministry of health reported that tests at the Laboratory of Water Quality  in Policentro,  Parque Lefevre, show that  water coming from the plant is fit for human consumption. Thetests revealed that turbidity levels are below the five nephelometric units, required  by international health agencies.  Production has  reached around 200 million gallons a day.