Power and Water Outages to Hit Mahahual and Xcalak This Weekend

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Residents, businesses and visitors in Mahahual and Xcalak should plan ahead for two days without electricity and running water, after both communities in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco were placed under scheduled service interruptions for Friday and Saturday.

The CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) said it will carry out scheduled maintenance on the electrical grid serving both communities, requiring a temporary cut to the power supply. The work is set for Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day. The utility said crews will complete the job in as little time as possible.

According to the CFE, the maintenance is intended to improve the quality of electrical service in the area, and the outage is necessary for safety reasons while crews work on the lines.

Water Pumping Also Suspended

CAPA (the Potable Water and Sewer Commission) announced that the CFE work at its facilities will also halt drinking-water pumping in Xcalak and Mahahual on both days. The suspension of pumping will run on the same schedule, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

CAPA urged residents of both communities to take precautions and to ration the drinking water they have already stored in cisterns and rooftop tanks while pumping is offline. Officials also recommended storing enough water in advance to cover basic needs during the hours of disruption.

Preparations Urged

Because of the electrical cut, authorities advised keeping cellphones, lamps and batteries charged before the outage begins, and unplugging electrical appliances to prevent damage when power is restored.

Officials asked the public to prepare for both days in order to limit the effects of the simultaneous loss of electricity and drinking-water pumping.