---
title: "Panama Seeks U.S. Engineering Help to Diagnose Azuero Water Crisis"
date: 2026-04-16
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/azuero-water-crisis-us-engineers/
categories:
  - "Environment"
  - "Health"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Azuero"
  - "Estibana River"
  - "IDAAN"
  - "La Villa river"
  - "MINSA"
  - "water crisis"
---

# Panama Seeks U.S. Engineering Help to Diagnose Azuero Water Crisis

## What Happened

The Ministry of Health has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for technical support to carry out a full diagnosis of the drinking water crisis affecting Azuero for months, Health Minister Fernando Boyd Galindo confirmed.

A meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 17, with Panamanian authorities, staff from the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (Idaan), and U.S. specialists to review the condition of the La Villa and Estibaná rivers and the operation of the area’s water treatment plants.

Boyd said the goal is to obtain a deep technical analysis and a treatment plan that can be applied in the short, medium and long term.

## A Long-Running Problem in Azuero

The minister acknowledged that the water crisis in Azuero has dragged on for decades without a definitive solution. Residents have faced recurring supply problems, and in recent months the situation has worsened.

Authorities say the water in the region is not fit for human consumption and must be boiled before use. It can still be used for bathing and cleaning, but not yet as potable water.

The emergency intensified after a rise in organic matter was detected in the La Villa River on May 27, 2025. That prompted the government to declare a state of emergency through Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of June 10, 2025.

## Public Health and Supply Measures

The contamination of the La Villa and Estibaná rivers forced Idaan to disinfect the water network, while many communities in Herrera and Los Santos continued to face restrictions on direct tap water consumption.

In March, residents staged protests demanding an immediate government solution. The pressure on households has continued as authorities work on contingency measures to keep affected communities supplied.

Boyd said more than 60 wells have already been drilled in the region and the work will continue to help secure supply. He added that 122 wells were executed nationwide last year and 180 more are planned for this year, bringing the total close to 400 across the country.

## National Response Expands Beyond Azuero

At the Thursday press briefing, Minister of the Presidency Juan Carlos Orillac said the well rehabilitation and drilling program is part of the government’s response to the drinking water crisis, especially in Azuero.

He said nearly 30 out-of-service wells have been rehabilitated and other new wells activated, strengthening distribution in Chitré, Las Tablas, Pedasí and other communities on the peninsula.

Orillac also said the strategy includes a national mapping of wells that can be quickly recovered, along with modernization and rehabilitation of treatment plants, including water intake systems and treatment processes.

He added that the two hydraulic rings in Panama City will later be inaugurated, a project expected to bring drinking water to about 600,000 people in Panama North and Panama East who currently face service problems.