The water supply crisis in Belo Horizonte and its metropolitan area is far from over. Days after a horse fell into a major water main in the Paraíso neighborhood, causing a massive interruption, many residents are still waking up to dry taps and significant hardship.
The incident, which occurred on the Rio das Velhas System, initially cut off water to a staggering 715 neighborhoods in the capital and seven other cities in the Grande BH region. While authorities have been working to restore service, the recovery has been uneven, leaving families in a difficult situation.
In the Goiânia neighborhood, resident Alessandra Ribeiro reports that her household remains without running water. The lack of supply has forced her children to miss school, as they had no way to bathe. The family is now carefully rationing the drinking water they have stored in their refrigerator, a situation she describes as extremely complicated since the outage began early Wednesday.
The story is similar in other areas. In Venda Nova, the Cenáculo neighborhood resident Vinícius Guilherme Soares is also still waiting for his water to return. His household, which includes his wife and two children, is dealing with the added challenge of illness, including flu and dengue fever. He had purchased a gallon of water for drinking and cooking, hoping for a quick resolution, but woke up Thursday to find not a single drop had come through.
Even where water has returned, problems persist. In the Tupi neighborhood, resident Mardem Fernandes saw a pre-existing leak, which had been reported to the utility company Copasa since April 23, reactivate the moment the main supply was restored. He expressed frustration that the leak, which had stopped during the outage, is now flowing again with no resolution in sight.
The utility company, Copasa, stated on Thursday morning that its operational teams are conducting a survey to identify all locations still without service and will provide a further update. The company acknowledged the crisis impacted roughly half the population of the metropolitan region, affecting homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools.
In the city of Nova Lima, one of the affected municipalities, the gradual normalization of water allowed for the resumption of classes in municipal schools and daycare centers on Thursday. Health services, including the Polyclinic and several basic health units, also reopened, though the public is advised to seek care there primarily for urgent and emergency cases for the time being.
Based on reporting from g1.