The National Superintendency of Sanitation Services (Sunass) reported that, of the 736,000 Peruvians today living in poverty and without access to drinking water, at least 544,000 (74%) are supplied through tanker trucks, while 191,000 (26%) do so from natural sources such as rivers or springs. .
Before the pandemic, these users, according to the 2020 National Household Survey (Enaho), had to pay up to 38% more than what a poor household pays, but with access to the public network (+ 6%).
Those who for various reasons do not benefit from the free distribution of drinking water, continue to pay this excess to receive water from the cisterns. That is, they pay on average S / 11 more for monthly consumption, with the aggravating circumstance that the water they receive does not necessarily arrive in quality conditions.
In this sense, Sunass specified that, currently, a large part of the population that does not have access to the public network is supplied free of charge with drinking water by the sanitation provider companies (EPS), through tanker trucks, under Emergency Decree 036-2020.
However, this measure is only temporary due to the state of emergency. For this reason, Sunass proposes the creation of a Service Provided under Special Conditions (SPECE), so that the EPS can supply this population by means of tanker trucks, charging a fair price, set by the regulator.
“This would be an alternative solution, while working to close the coverage gap and advance in the purpose of universal access to sanitation services,” said the institution through a statement.
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