Santiago.- The President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, inaugurated the Noriega I Potable Water Treatment Plant, the most important in the Cibao region and the second most important in the country; likewise, the Don Jaime Supply System, at a total cost of 667 million pesos.
The plant that supplies more than 65 percent of Santiago’s population was rehabilitated with an investment of 612 million pesos by the Santiago Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (Coraasan), as it presented great deterioration after exhausting its operational cycle and due to lack of maintenance since its commissioning in 1994.
The general director of Coraasan, Ing. Andrés Cueto, thanked President Luis Abinader for his constant support so that this rehabilitation is a reality today and the French Development Agency (AFD), for the financing for its execution.
“Mr. President, today we recover the 15 million gallons per day that were lost due to leaks, cracks, and excessive water consumption in the washing of the filters due to the excessive clogging of the filter bed, affecting the quality of the water served, added to the lack of maintenance of past administrations. Once again, we see that what you promise, you deliver. Under your vision, with this work we can speak of a true revolution of the drinking water sector in the country,” affirmed Cueto.
Cueto explained that the works involved the intervention of the module areas, improving production processes.
For her part, the French ambassador, Sonia Barbry, highlighted that Noriega I is a high-impact work for Santiago and the country, reflecting the strong cooperation between France and the Dominican Republic.
“I want to express my sincere recognition to the teams of the Santiago Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (CORAASAN), for their dedication, commitment, and professionalism. The results we celebrate today are the fruit of their hard work and a shared vision of public service,” highlighted the diplomat.
The governor of Santiago province, Rosa Santos, valued the efforts of the government and Coraasan to make possible the rehabilitation of Noriega I, which represents a key infrastructure for Santiago’s drinking water system.
Noriega I has cutting-edge technology that optimizes processes, guaranteeing quality and production according to its design capacity of 4 cubic meters per second, equivalent to 91 million gallons per day.
The water treatment institution also inaugurated the Supply System for the community of Don Jaime, which includes a new Pumping Station, the placement of a 12-inch impulse line that goes from the Pumping Station in Mella I to the rehabilitated tank with a capacity of 150 thousand gallons, a work that involved an investment of 55 million pesos and impacts more than 500 families.
It has two pumps in operation and one on stand-by with the capacity to pump 15 liters per second each.
The work will significantly improve the supply in Don Jaime, La Torre, the Zona Franca and Colinas de Libertad housing complexes.
The general director of Coraasan indicated that these works are part of the Strategic Development Plan for Santiago and are integrated into a set of infrastructures promoted by the management of President Abinader, which are turning the city into a modern and competitive one, with greater opportunities for the people and motivating private investment.
In addition to the inauguration ceremony, the Minister of Public Works and Communications, Eduardo Estrella; the senator for the Province of Santiago, Daniel Rivera; the mayor of Santiago de los Caballeros, Ulises Rodríguez; the president of the Board of Directors of CORAASAN, Conrado Asencio; the director of the Unit of the Directorate of Communications and Strategy of the Government, Federico Reinoso; the wife of the general director of Coraasan, Dr. Virginia Lugo; the regional director of SISALRIL, Sergio Guzmán; Mons. Andrés Amaury Rosario, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Santiago; businessmen, deputies, mayors, councilors, among other personalities, also participated.
