Potable water alert in Herrera
RESIDENTS of Herrera province have been warned not to drink tap water because of unusual coloration in the Parita River which feeds the region’s water treatment plant.
The alert came from the regional authorities of the Institute of Aqueducts and Sewage Systems (Idaan) and the Governor of Herrera urging the population not to consume potable water.
In a press conference the governor of Herrera, Raúl Rivera, announced that although along the Parita River no dead fish were detected, the water in the flow has a whitish coloration.
Rivera said that although the first chemical samples taken from raw water did not show the presence of any type of contaminant, for security reasons it should not be consumed.
He said that additional samples were sent to the city of Panama for a deeper analysis.
Until the results are received, bottled water will be distributed to the population. “We have a contingency plan to guarantee water consumption.
The water treatment plant of Parita has a daily production of drinking water of half a million gallons, to serve a population of over 4,000 thousand people, located in Parita , Puerto Limón and other neighboring communities.
The director of the Idaan Herrera, Leysi Cedeño, said that the only water that is being sent to the homes come from a deep well located in the Chalaco sector.
