Incatema carries out the environmental impact statement for the Navarrete aqueduct in the Dominican Republic

13 April, 2023

Incatema has started the environmental impact assessment of the Navarrete Aqueduct Expansion project, in the province of Santiago, in order to foresee, prevent and mitigate the negative impacts caused by the project and at the same time propose actions that contribute to achieve sustainable development and adaptation to climate change. All of this in compliance with the provisions established by the General Law on the Environment and Natural Resources and the environmental regulations in force in the Dominican Republic, especially the environmental authorisations system.

The objective of the environmental impact statement is to establish mechanisms to guarantee the ecological function of fragile natural spaces located in the area of influence of the project, including those of native vegetation to recover areas and improve landscape quality.

At the same time, mechanisms will be put in place to reduce pollution and resource use caused by the project, considering staff training, use of resources, use of best available practices and technologies, transfer of technologies and knowledge, and continuous improvement.

The Environmental Management Plan shall include the risks arising from climate change

The final document will take the form of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP), which will identify and assess the significant impacts of the project regarding the environmental factors in the area of direct and indirect influence and the risks and damages caused by the project itself due to exposure to natural or anthropogenic environmental hazards, including those related to climate change issues. Impacts will be analysed for at least 3 project alternatives.

The final document will include infrastructure services such as drinking water, storm drainage, wastewater, power, solid waste and chemical management. The study shall also include the identification and description of the monthly and multi-annual climatic conditions of the area, based on information from the nearest meteorological station.

According to Incatema's Director of Infrastructure, Mr Fernando Diaz, "the environmental impact statement, and the subsequent Environmental Management Plan, guarantee the safeguarding of the natural resources of the area, while proposing measures to mitigate the possible effects of the adverse natural phenomena to which the country is exposed, which are aggravated by the consequences of climate change".

The project consists of the construction of a pumped and gravity-fed drinking water supply system to extend the Navarrete aqueduct.

For the water treatment, Incatema, in consortium with the company J. Fortuna, will build a fast filtration water treatment plant with a capacity of 300 litres per second and a pipeline from the treatment plant to the regulating tank, as already mentioned to you here.