Struggling for every drop: The water crisis in Port-de-Paix

PORT-DE-PAIX — Every morning, Rubens Sinnet anxiously turns on his faucet, hoping for a steady stream of water. Day after day, his family is left without, forced to embark on the exhausting and all-too-familiar journey to fetch water from distant sources. Like Sinnet, a significant portion of the population in Haïti’s northwest, particularly in Port-de-Paix, lacks access to clean water due to the failure of the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) to adequately address the region’s needs.

“There are always failures for the water to come easily in my home. It happens all the time. I usually spend 4 to 5 days or more without water,” said Sinnet, a resident of Port-de-Paix, echoing the frustrations of many residents of Port-de-Paix and the broader northwest region.

Port-de-Paix, the main communal section in the northwest regions, is surrounded by abundant natural water resources, including rivers such as Trois-Rivières, Rivière-des-Barres, Rivière des Nègres, Rivière Lakay, and springs such as Source Zabette, Source Moreau, and Source cacao. Despite this natural richness, residents in the city, like those in most communal sections, are constantly struggling with access to water. Today, only a small group of people have access to drinking water, as DINEPA has struggled to fulfill its responsibilities to provide water 14 years after replacing the defunct National Potable Water Service (SNEP).

The water supply for Port-de-Paix originates from the Zabette springs in the first municipal section of Fond Jacques in Chansolme, approximately eight miles away. While many in Port-de-Paix are unaware of the reasons behind the persistent water shortages, residents living near the abundant Source Zabette — a large water spring in Fond Jacques, Chansolme — point fingers at DINEPA. They argue that the agency has failed to protect the surrounding environment and neglected to improve the road infrastructure near this critical water source, which serves as the lifeline for the city and its surrounding areas.

“We take care of, protect, and clean the spring every day,” said Olguens Blanc, a young resident of Chansolme, in an interview with The Haitian Times. “But we’ve never received any help or financial support, either from local authorities or DINEPA managers, who collect millions of gourdes from the water that comes from our source.”

“The road that leads to the source is in terrible condition,” added another Chansolme resident. “We want DINEPA’s leaders to fund the work to rehabilitate the road in our communal section.”

A community left to fend for itself as DINEPA fails to deliver 

Engineer Hérode Justilien, a member of DINEPA’s new management and rectification commission, stated that DINEPA collects between 3,000,000 and 5,000,000 gourdes – about USD $22,727 to $37,878 – in revenue each month from approximately 10,000 customers in Port-de-Paix. 

However, despite the steady cash flow from customer contributions, residents are increasingly frustrated with the poor quality of service provided by DINEPA. Many continue to demand improvements, but little has changed. 

 “I am looking to get cleaned, protable water from other private companies, so that me and my family can drink with more confidence. The water offered by DINEPA is not well treated to drink,” said Mirlande Charles, a DINEPA customer.

The water coming from the Zabette Springs catchment in Chansolme travels 12 kilometers to the Port-de-Paix reservoir, divided into two sections: 6 kilometers of 18-inch pipes and 6 kilometers of 14-inch pipes. The reservoir has a capacity of 1,000 cubic meters of water. However, for the majority of people living in the mountainous areas around Port-de-Paix, such Morne Dorima, Morne Blocos, Morne Bethel, Mount Hospital, Miryam II, Morne Démelus access to DINEPA’s water service remains out of reach. Faced with dire circumstances, residents in Port-de-Paix often have to pay up to 125 gourdes (almost USD $1) for a single bucket of water, a price many can hardly afford. 

Others have been forced to take matters into their own hands. In areas near Trois Rivières, where DINEPA’s services are nonexistent, locals have resorted to desperate measures, such as creating makeshift springs to access water. The water they collect often does not meet hygienic standards, but it’s their only option. On any given day, lines of men, women, and children can be seen, patiently waiting their turn to collect water from these shallow, precarious holes. 

“I still struggle to find water in my area,” said Louijina Eugène, a young resident of Morne Dorima. “I used to go to Trois Rivières almost every day to look for water. I get a little relief every time it rains because I can fill up my containers then.”

Trois-Rivières runs from the communal section of Bassin Bleu, through Chansolme, and into Port-de-Paix. 

A Spiritual Plea for More Water

In the commune of Chansolme, where Source Zabette is located, water is not just a natural resource. Locals attribute the abundance of water in their area to the blessings of a mystical spirit named Elizabette, who is believed to reside within the sacred springs. 

Annually in mid-July, the people of Chansolme come alive to honor this mystical presence with the Festival of Water, a celebration deeply rooted in Vodou traditions. This year, the community held its annual ceremony on July 14, marked by rituals and prayers to keep the water flowing. Women dressed in long red and white sang songs of praise, offering their devotion to Elizabette in hopes of securing the spirit’s favor. Drummers and other musicians play to the Vodou rhythms while the dancers orchestrate beautiful moves harmoniously with the sound.

“In the source, there is a mystical spirit called Elizabette, a mystery who loves to dwell in the water. This is why we must stay connected to the spirit by organizing the Vodou ceremony every year,” explained Rosemène Paul, a local resident who has long been involved in these sacred rites.

The Solidarity Movement for the Development of Fond Jacques, a grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the environment around source Zabette, has taken a leading role in these efforts. Their mission is not just about preserving tradition, but also about safeguarding the natural resources that sustain their community.

“We urge everyone not to cut down trees around the source. If we don’t keep the area clean, we will struggle to get water,” said Idonner Toussaint, the organization’s spokesperson.

Despite the community’s best efforts, support from DINEPA and local authorities remains scarce. The residents of Chansolme have largely been left to fend for themselves, relying on their own initiative to protect and sustain the water source.

“The authorities at DINEPA need to act quickly. I live near the source, and I’m constantly intervening to stop people from cutting down trees in the area,” said Cedny Calixte, a local resident. “Deforestation could reduce the source’s capacity to produce water. That’s why I’ll continue to plant trees at the top of the source, so it can keep providing us with water.”

In Chansolme, the struggle for water is as much about spiritual devotion as it is about environmental conservation. As the community continues to fight for the preservation of their sacred spring, they hope that both DINEPA and the government will finally recognize the importance of their efforts and take action to support them.

Corruption within DINEPA and challenges ahead

The DINEPA office in Northwest has been mired in a corruption scandal involving the embezzlement of 40,000,000 gourdes (USD $303,030). This scandal led to the arrest of former Director Joudaner Eugène and administrator Kelouse Louis. That prompted the return of Hérode Justilien, a 29-year veteran of the institution, to help manage the office as part of a three-member commission tasked with rectifying the situation. This commission is chaired by engineer Jude Fanfan, with Ebens Pierre also serving as a member. Currently, about thirty employees work at DINEPA, ranging from low-ranking personnel to drivers, technicians, and management. 

The corruption scandal is one of the many reasons DINEPA has failed to meet customer needs, which has also led to complaints about the cleanliness of the water. 

“Sometimes the water that comes out of our taps is so dirty I can’t even use it, not even for washing, let alone drinking,” said Sinnet, the frustrated resident. 

Justilien told The Haitian Times that the water undergoes two treatments before it is distributed. 

The regional office in Port-de-Paix does not rely on fuel to operate. Instead, it uses a gravity-based system to distribute water. However, this system has limitations and is unable to supply water to the residents in the mountainous areas that are situated at a higher elevation than the system itself. 

“With our gravity piping system, we cannot supply all areas, especially those located at a greater distance from our catchment,” Justilien added. 

To address the water supply issue in the mountainous areas, DINEPA has introduced a water truck with a capacity of 16 cubic meters to service these difficult-to-reach places.

“The price for a truckload of water is set at 5,000 gourdes (USD $38) for areas where our pipes cannot reach, to help residents access water more easily,” said Justilien. 

Justilien explained that water shortages in the city often occur during droughts in the commune of Chansolme, which affect the water supply from the Zabette spring, from which DINEPA sources its water catchmen. However, during the rainy season, the reservoir has enough capacity to serve all areas simultaneously. 

For certain communal sections in the main city and other municipalities in the northwest that do not yet have drinking water service, the representative of DINEPA says that service will soon arrive in these areas, and will bring much-needed relief to the residents.

“There are studies already underway to supply the commune of Saint-Louis du Nord, which is located 12 kilometers from Port-de-Paix. We are also assigning an agent to each communal section to properly regulate and manage water distribution in the community,” Justilien added.

The post Struggling for every drop: The water crisis in Port-de-Paix appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Struggling for every drop: The water crisis in Port-de-Paix was first posted on August 12, 2024 at 1:19 pm.