BEIRUT: Lebanon faces electricity and water shortages as two power plants shut down Friday, while water companies announced they would begin rationing supplies to households in a sign of the country's deteriorating living conditions.

Two of Lebanons power plants were forced to switch off Friday from tankers not offloading fuel supplies as a result of a delay in finalizing payment from foreign banks, Electricite du Liban said in a statement.

The first shipment of gas oil arrived to Lebanon June 28 and another on July 4 and the tankers were stationed opposite the Al-Zahrani and Deir Ammar plants, the EDL said.

However, the plants, in the south and north of the country respectively, were unable to benefit from the new supply until "the completion of the banking procedures at the correspondent foreign banks and the issue of the supplier's approval ... which led to the suspension of both the Al-Zahrani and Deir Ammar plants respectively, as a result of the depletion of gas-oil supplies.

Last week, the state-owned electricity company warned that the two plants, which feed around 10 percent of the countrys power production, would have to be switched off if credit payments from the Central Bank were not opened in the following days. Local media reported earlier this week that the bank had opened the line of credit and was awaiting payment procedures from the foreign banks.

The corporation will continue to take the necessary precautionary measures on an ongoing basis, to maintain the largest possible minimum level of stability by feeding the electric current for the longest possible period, EDL said.

EDL's decision will bring more disruption to households already facing depleted power supplies, with residents in some areas having just two hours of state power a day.

Also Friday, the North Lebanon Water Corporation said that water distribution and supplies were being hampered as a result of the financial crisis, rise in prices of materials, along with the severe electricity, fuel and diesel shortages.

The group said it has had "to declare a state of emergency and implement rationing programs that affect the process of pumping and distributing water in residential areas" in the North and Akkar governorates.

The South Lebanon Water Corporation also said Friday it was facing similar problems forcing it to begin rationing water and asked residents to restrict use and preserve water supplies.

The news of a water supply shortfall adds to a growing list of essential good shortages in the country as a result of the acute economic downturn that has brought misery to citizen's daily lives.

Furthermore, with hot weather forecast for the months ahead, the shortage of electricity and water threatens leaving offices and homes unable to operate air conditioning units or fans in 30 degrees heat.

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