Development of Water Supply System Serving Caracas

Much of Caracas, a complex urban metropolis with a generally high standard of living, has been receiving water service only a few hours daily. Because of the soulfulness of the water shortage in the capital city, the Government has given high priority to a project to improve and expend the water supply system serving that area in Venezuela. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has provided a loan to the Instituto Nacional de Obras Sanitarias (INOS), an autonomous institution established in 1943 to construct and operate water supply and coverage system under contracts with local municipal authorities. INOS now operates in all towns of Venezuela with populations of over 5,000 or about 130 systems. In order to insure that everyone in Caracas gets some water, many of the distribution zones are supplied by rotation. Equitable distribution is further hampered by the mountainous terrain -- even within a given sub-system it is difficult to ensure that water reaches consumers on higher ground. Many of the poor areas, filled with primitive housing called ""ranchos"", are served by public taps, and some receive water only from INOS trucks or private water carriers.
Bathing the baby. The plastic hose in the foreground is a typical adjunct of the installation.