After the controversy generated around the increase in the salinity of the water, the state company will begin to publish the information from Monday to Friday.
The National Administration of State Sanitary Works (OSE) will begin to publish as of today on its official website the values of sodium and chloride present in the water of the metropolitan area.
At the end of last month, the National Administration of State Sanitation Works increased the proportion of sodium in the water from 200 milligrams per liter to 280 mg/L, while chloride went from 280 mg/L to 450 mg/L. However, on May 6, the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) authorized a new increase in the measurements, which went to 400 mg/L and 700 mg/L respectively.
From this, a controversy began, promoted by the mayor of Montevideo, Caroline Cosseclaiming that there was a lack of clear information for the population, being its mayor one of the first to publish studies on the water that people in the metropolitan area were drinking.
As published by El País, OSE will begin to publish the sodium and chloride parameters present in the water every day from today Monday to Friday. The samples will be taken from the main pumping lines of the metropolitan area, the most important supply of Montevideo, Gold Coast and Canelones.
The Montevideo studies and Rando’s responses
After the increase in salinity, the community chief of Montevideo reported that the water would be studied in 15 polyclinics – of the 26 owned by the city – to be able to account for the salinity of the water and determine if it is drinkable or not. Cosse remarked that of the 15 points there is only one that does not exceed the established maximum limit of 200 mg/l. While, of the rest, there are two that exceed the exception authorized by the Executive Power which doubles the upper limit at 440 mg/litre.
The Minister of Public Health, Karina Rando, responded to Cosse’s statements and determined that the tests were carried out wrong way. “The measures of water they are not made in your place and is stable throughout the day. Measurements are taken at different points of the account that supplies the metropolitan area and, therefore, they are not exactly the same measurements,” Rando explained.
Source: Ambito
