Water crisis in Cartagena: Dumek Turbay calls for an urgent meeting with Acuacar following the announcement of water rationing; he says he is willing to take over the company.

News: Prolonged outages and protests led Aguas de Cartagena to announce rationing measures in several sectors. The Mayor of Cartagena convened an urgent meeting following the water service suspension crisis. Photo: Cartagena City Hall. SUBEDITOR May 11, 2026, 2:37 PM Updated: May 11, 2026, 2:37 PM The water supply crisis in Cartagena escalated on Monday after several days of protests and blockades by residents of various neighborhoods affected by prolonged service interruptions. Amid growing social tensions, Aguas de Cartagena announced rationing measures, while Mayor Dumek Turbay convened an urgent meeting with company executives to demand explanations about the extent of the emergency. In a conversation with EL TIEMPO, the mayor confirmed that an extraordinary meeting would be held on Tuesday, May 12, with the company operating the water system to understand the background of the situation and define possible decisions from the district administration. "I want them to tell me the truth and know what will happen and what decisions I need to make," Turbay told this media outlet, referring to the difficulties caused by service interruptions and the growing discontent among citizens in popular areas of the city. Announcing Rationing Protests over lack of water in Cartagena led to blockades and the announcement of official rationing. Photo: Cartagena City Hall. EL TIEMPO learned that demonstrations intensified during the previous week in neighborhoods in the southeastern and southwestern areas of Cartagena, where residents reported several days without continuous access to potable water. In some areas, there were blockades of main roads and burning of tires as a means of pressure due to the lack of solutions. The situation forced Aguas de Cartagena to issue an official statement announcing preventive rationing measures in different sectors of the city, citing operational difficulties and high levels of consumption amid current weather conditions. Although the company has not provided a definitive schedule of sector-specific suspensions, it warned that temporary controls on distribution would be necessary to avoid a greater system collapse and ensure minimum supply levels in critical areas. The city cannot tolerate technical failures and should not have to receive apologies every 15 days for a water outage; if you are paying for a service, ideally you should receive it with quality. Dumek Turbay Mayor of Cartagena The warning from Mayor Dumek Turbay, Mayor of Cartagena. Photo: Cartagena City Hall. The emergency revives one of the most sensitive debates in Cartagena: the ability of the water system to respond to urban growth, increased demand, and recurring service failures in peripheral neighborhoods. Sources consulted by EL TIEMPO indicated that difficulties associated with insufficient pressure, network damage, and technical problems have been occurring for weeks and have worsened in recent days. This is compounded by the impact of high temperatures and increased residential consumption. Mayor Dumek Turbay said that the priority is to avoid further impact and ensure that the company provides clear and verifiable information about the real causes of the situation. He also insisted that citizens need immediate responses and concrete plans to restore service stability. The meeting convened for this Tuesday could define new administrative and operational measures, including possible contingency plans for supplying water through water tankers in the most affected areas. In 2015, an administration extended the concession to what was then Aguas de Barcelona, in exchange for a robust Investment Plan that would improve the operation, service, and reliability of the system. It never happened! Dumek Turbay Mayor of Cartagena The mayor added, "When I came into government in 2024 and we had the first broken pipe, I knew we had a problem. We need to invest in our infrastructure." Crisis of Water Supply Follow all the information from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter. EL TIEMPO NEWSLETTERS Register for our newsletters and receive news in your email according to your interests. Stay informed with what really matters to you. EL TIEMPO GOOGLE NEWS Follow us on GOOGLE NEWS. Stay always updated with the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on Google News. EL TIEMPO WHATSAPP Join the El Tiempo channel on WhatsApp to stay up-to-date with the most relevant news at the moment. EL TIEMPO APP Stay informed with the EL TIEMPO app. Receive the latest news, coverage, stories, and analysis directly on your device. SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL Reliable information for you. Subscribe to EL TIEMPO and access our journalistic content without limits.