Rain boosts hydro reservoir level but much more is needed; GDP declines in the 2nd quarter; Drinking water supply stabilizes; Judge rejects VP’s case

Three of days of rain have increased the level of the Mazar reservoir but officials say much more is needed. On Monday, the water level at the reservoir was 2,119 meters above sea level, an increase of just over two meters since late last week, but far below the optimum level of 2,153 meters.

Mazar powers three hydroelectric plants, Mazar, Paute-Molino and Sopladora, which produce 38% of Ecuador’s electricity under normal conditions. “The good news is that the Paute River is flowing at a higher rate after the rain and the rate continues to rise,” says Jefferson Burbano, an engineer at the Mazar reservoir, “Depending on additional rainfall, we expect the Mazar level to continue to rise but we remain more than 30 meters below what we need for full function.”

According to officials at the Mazar hydroelectric reservoir, the water level is rising due to recent rains but remains far below the optimum operating level.

Late Monday, the Paute-Molino and Sopladora hydro plants were operating at minimal levels while Mazar was out of service entirely, Burbano said. “The drought has been devastating on the entire Paute-Mazar complex, since we produce most of the country’s energy, and the low water level here is responsible for the blackouts we are currently experiencing.”

The national weather institute says rain chances remain high through Wednesday but will decline by the end of the week.

Some blackout periods are reduced temporarily
Because of recent rainfall, some scheduled blackouts are being reduced or eliminated, the Energy Ministry said Monday night. It said electric generation at three flow-through facilities (those that operate without reservoirs), including Coca Coda Sinclair, have increased production. “We have the choice to allow rivers to flow through these plants or to generate electricity from the flow,” the ministry said in a statement. “We turned on the turbines and are passing the electricity on to consumers.”

In Cuenca, blackouts scheduled for 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, have been delayed or cancelled.

The ministry said the change is temporary and does not indicate a change in previously announced schedules.

GDP declines in 2nd quarter
Ecuador’s Gross Domestic Product decreased 2.2% in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, the Central Bank reported Monday. The decline is the sharpest since 2021, when the GDP dropped 5.2% during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Central Bank said the contraction was primarily the result of reduced consumer spending and an increase in the national value added tax from 12% to 15%, In June, consumer sales fell 10.5%, the largest drop since the pandemic.

The bank added that April power blackouts, a decline in construction starts and a drop in public and private investment contributed to the decline.

Drinking water supply stabilizes
Recent rains have recharged Cuenca’s drinking water supply and reduced the prospect of rationing. “The ponds at our processing plants are full again and we are out of the emergency situation we faced for the past month,” said Rigoberto Guerrero, director of the city’s municipal water system. Equally important, he added, was the fact that the flow rate from the Cajas watershed has improved, meaning the holding ponds will remain full.

Guerrero said the region remains under drought conditions, which could affect potable water supplies toward the end of the year. “The rains on Sunday and Monday are a good start but we need much, much more,” he said. “Historically, rainfall increases in October, so we are optimistic that the improvement continues before we return to drier conditions in November and December.”

Judge rejects VP’s case
A criminal court judge on Monday denied Vice President Verónica Abad’s request to stop a Labor Ministry investigation of her failure to follow a reassignment order. Judge Gloria Mayorga ruled that Abad’s political rights were not violated by a review of her failure to relocate to Turkey from Israel in a timely manner.

President Daniel Noboa ordered Abad to transfer to Ankara, Turkey from Tel Aviv, Israel on September 1 but she did not make the move until September 9.

Abad called the judge’s decision “an aberration to justice and the law,” and claimed it was part of Noboa’s effort to have her removed from office before next year’s presidential election.