Photo: © AFP – Julien de Rosa. Retrieved from rfi.fr
The “event of electrical origin” at the Ouroveni plant overnight from Monday to Tuesday “is leading to water cuts mostly located in the centre and south” of Mayotte’s main island Grande Terre, the prefecture said.
Around half of Mayotte’s population of 320,000 depends on Ouroveni’s daily output of up to 20,000 cubic metres of drinking water.
The island territory has for years been battling water shortages.
Low rainfall and numerous leaks in the distribution system prompted authorities to cut water supplies for as much as two out of every three days between August 2023 and January this year.
Cuts are still in force for one in every three days as “daily consumption is estimated at 45,000 cubic metres, but the territory can only produce a maximum of 40,000,” said Jerome Josserand, head of the territory’s DEALM environment, planning, housing and maritime authority.