The president of the National Administration of State Sanitary Works (OSE), Raul Montero, expressed that the state company is experiencing “one of the worst moments in history” in the midst of the water crisis that affects the metropolitan area of Uruguay and, therefore, to half of the country’s population.
The current situation in Uruguay “is very tough.” This is how Montero recognized it during an event in the Manuel Oribe Institute of the National Party, in which he expounded on the Arazati projectalso know as Neptune, whose objective is to build a water treatment plant with private financing.
The president of OSE recognized that the water situation was already complicated when he took office in April 2020: Back then, water reserves were enough for just 30 to 40 days. On this occasion, the available drinking water would be enough, with luck, for a third of that period; which accounts for the critical state of both the state company and the metropolitan area.
In this sense, and taking advantage of the event, Montero highlighted the importance that the Arazatí project has for “remove the fragility of the drinking water supply to the entire metropolitan system”even though the National Academy of Sciences He pointed out that the initiative “violates water security and sustainability.”
“OSE is experiencing, I think in recent history, one of the worst moments. The situation that affects more than half of the country’s population is very harsh. And I think that despite all the difficulties, that this is happening almost exempts me from the importance of the project that brings us together here,” said Montero, referring to the projected water treatment plant.
Until now, for the Neptuno project, OSE reported that there had been two tender offers for the construction of the new plant. The bidders were two consortiums of companies. One was called Montevideo waters -integrated to Saceem, Berkes and Fast— and the other was Grupo Arazati—Teyma and CIS.
The companies that make up the Aguas de Montevideo consortium were the ones that presented the Private Initiative to the Executive Power, so they will have an advantage in the bidding. The company’s board of directors must now analyze the offers.
The rain allowed a few more days of grace
In the event, Montero affirmed that the rains of the last days, although they were not enough to recover the levels of the reservoir of Severino Pass, yes they reached for “run the emergency a few days”.
In this sense, he spoke of a certain “tranquility”, but assured that the capacity of the water treatment plant running waters is “at the limit” and that is why new plants are needed. It was there that he highlighted the need for projects like the one in Arazatí, in Saint Joseph, that will take water from the Río de la Plata.
The president of OSE said that the challenge is currently threefold, with problems in the access “to raw water, purification and transportation”.
Source: Ambito
