New water plant to increase capacity, maintain quality; Cuenca chef wins Michelin star; Weekend exhibits at the planetarum

Jan 18, 2020 | 2 comments

Cuenca’s public utility, ETAPA, is expanding the capacity of the city’s drinking water system. A new facility, attached to the Tixán plant, will allow the city to provide water to an additional 365,000 customers.

An ETAPA spokeswoman said the expansion is necessary to keep up with city growth. “Projections show that Cuenca will have 1.3 million inhabitants by 2050 and it is essential that we stay ahead of the growing population,” she said. “The new facility will also assure that we continue to provide water of award-winning quality to our citizens.”

Since 2008, Cuenca has been recognized three times for having the best water quality in South America. In the 2016 recognition by international water engineers, the quality was rated fourth-best in the western hemisphere, surpassed only by three cities in Canada.

Cuenca’s water comes from the Cajas Mountains watershed on the west side of the city, most of which is in the Cajas National Park.

Astronomy tours at the Planetarium

The Cuenca Directorate of Culture invites the public to an exhibition at the Municipal Planetarium that features a screening of astronomer Carl Sagan’s documentary series “The Cosmos: A Personal Journey.” In addition to the documentary, the exhibit features educational displays in the planetarium lobby.

The municipal planetarium in Parque de la Madre.

The Sagan documentary will be shown Saturday and Sunday, January 18 and 19, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The planetarium is located in the southwest corner of Parque de la Madre. The lobby exhibits will remain on display until January 31.

Cuenca-born chef receives a Michelin star

Cuenca Mayor Pedro Palacios awarded Cuenca chef Carolina Sánchez the coveted the Michelin Star award in a Friday ceremony at the municipal building.

Sánchez was recognized for her culinary excellence at her Ikaro restaurant in Bilbao, Spain, where she combines Ecuadorian and Spanish cooking traditions. She had requested that she receive the award in Cuenca, where her family lives.

In a radio interview on Thursday, Sánchez said her dream is to return to Cuenca and establish a new restaurant. “The restaurant scene here is developing rapidly, becoming more diverse and more sophisticated, and I would like to be part of the trend,” she said.

CuencaHighLife

Dani News

Google ad

Hogar Esperanza News

Google ad

Fund Grace News

Gran Colombia Suites News

The Cuenca Dispatch

Week of March 17

Banks and Cooperatives will pay almost $200 million in taxes to fund the internal armed conflict.

Read more

Illegal mining advances uncontrolled in the Ecuadorian Amazon and threatens protected areas and indigenous communities.

Read more

Foreign Minister Sommerfeld refutes the notion of ‘bukelization’ in Ecuador’s fight against organized crime.

Read more