Romania's Sahara heat causes severe water crisis
Romania is sweltering like the Sahara Desert! Temperatures in some regions have soared above 43 degrees Celsius, and authorities have issued a red-alert warning for southern and western counties.
Dozens of communities are facing severe drinking water shortages after wells and rivers have run dry, and tap water is only available for a few hours a day.
Several towns in southern Romania receive water for only a few hours daily, as persistent drought and excessive temperatures have left wells dry and reduced the flow of rivers that supply public networks. In Segarcea and three other localities in Dolj county, water is supplied according to a strict schedule.
"We only get it rationed. It stops now, at 11 AM, and doesn't come back until around 10 PM. What are you supposed to do? When do you cook, when do you wash? There's nothing else we can do, we have no other option."
"It's a good thing we have a well here. We put it in buckets and jerry cans. What choice do we have?"
"An hour, maybe two, then it's over again. After lunch, they give you another portion. You'd die of thirst if you didn't have water in the well."
Water supply restrictions are also in place in dozens of communities in Gorj, Argeș, Giurgiu, Dâmbovița, and Vaslui counties. Representatives of the National Administration "Romanian Waters" say there are currently sufficient reserves, but residents shouldn't be wasteful.
"Due to the drastic increase in water consumption by users, although we've repeatedly appealed to them not to use water for anything other than domestic purposes, the Oltenia Water Company was forced to implement a potable water supply program in four localities in Dolj county," said Carmen Petrean, spokesperson for the Oltenia Water Company.
Romanian authorities are assuring the public that the country's most important lakes are nearly 90 percent full.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
