Uruguay is experiencing a critical situation regarding potable water reserves and the government continues to take last-minute measures.
From drinking water distribution in Tank trucks until the buy an app that would help the distribution of bottled water, the national government foresees measures for an end that seems imminent: less than a week of drinking water remains for Montevideo and the despair of the population of Uruguay increases.
The Paso Severino dam, the main freshwater reserve for the population of Montevideo and the metropolitan areatouched its historical minimum again, with less than 5.66% of its total capacity, according to the latest report from the National Administration of State Sanitation Works (OSE), when on June 9 it had 6.5%. Currently, the volume of the reservoir is 3.79 million cubic meters — the total is 67 million cubic meters.
On the other hand, the levels of the basin St. Lucia they remain between 6% and 7% of their capacity thanks to the intermittent rains which, although not enough to reverse the situation, extended the possibility of continuing to supply the population for a few days. Meanwhile, Montevideo has only five days of potable water left in case the rains are not enough.
What are the measures planned by the government?
In the event that the potable water supply runs out, OSE’s board of directors approved the purchase of a software for 40 million pesos (plus VAT) to the technology company Probe. This will have the objective of organize the supply of bottled drinking water or subsidized through an application available to Montevideans and the population of the metropolitan area.
In addition to the approval of the purchase of the software, the government will build a dam to the west of Canelones in Parador Tajes that will allow it to pump water upwards that will be dammed with fresh water from the San José river, according to a source from the Ministry of Environment. In this way, in addition to the water Severine Passthe fluid can be maintained with the current salinity and chloride levels to be able to perform much more.
The objective of the construction of the dam in Parador Tajes is to increase the levels of fresh water using the flow of the San José river and to be able to mix it with salt water of the Río de la Plata and, in this way, prevent the levels of Paso Severino from running out.
On the other hand, from the state company they decided to distribute, through Tank trucksdrinking water – without high levels of salinity and chloride – at hospitals and schools from the metropolitan area and Montevideo. A test has already begun, distributing to hospitals, but the goal is to reach all the health centers in the affected areas and 650 schools. For this, help will be National Army that will provide trucks and personnel, although the 9 trucks rented by OSE that have a greater capacity will also be included.
Source: Ambito
