The National Administration of State Sanitary Works (OSE) will build a provisional and emergency dam on the Santa Lucía river due to the relentless drought, with an investment of $500,000 and an end date of one weekThese are some of the many consequences generated by the scarcity of water.
OSE President, Raul Monteroannounced yesterday the beginning of the construction of a provisional and emergency dam that has the objective of “isolating a section of the Santa Lucia Riverdownstream of the dam running watersin order to manage it more efficiently”, according to the needs they have.
The work requires an investment of 500 thousand dollars and is expected to be completed next week. “We keep thinking about how stretch those reserveshow to continue extending the term of the maintenance of the fresh water reserve, to be able to maintain this type of normality that we have now”, explained Montero.
On the other hand, he stressed that these types of drastic decisions are due to the fact that what would come next, if the dam was not completed, “would be much more difficult to face” and emphasized that they are “trying to prevent that moment from coming.”
A possible solution, which gives problems
Last week, with the objective of being able to stretch the drinking water reserves in the metropolitan area, OSE decided to once again increase the salinity level in the drinking water mix that distributes in the area.
This measure had already been taken by the board of directors of the state company at the end of last month, when the proportion of sodium in the fluid increased from 200 milligrams per liter at 280 mg/L, while chloride went from 280 mg/L to 450 mg/L. Now, last Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) authorized a new increase in the measures, which became 400mg/L and 700mg/L respectively.
This decision brought several drawbacks, such as the tripling of bottled water sales, which would cause a possible shortage. To this is added that people with blood pressure problems and kidney failure, as well as pregnant women and babies under the age of six would be affected by its consumption.
The measure caused uproar in the political scene where not only the opposition questioned the actions of the government as the responsible company, but also Town meeting – member of the government coalition – requested the resignation of the OSE directors.
As a finishing touch, in addition to the supply problems and possible health effects caused by the consumption of water with high salinity levels, it also affects the industrial process of petroleum at the refinery ancapThe Tile.
Source: Ambito
