The water reserves in the Severino Pass dam increased for the seventh day, reported Presidency of the Republicestimating their flow at 1,090,847 cubic meters, an important respite in the midst of the water emergency that plagues Montevideo and the metropolitan area.
According to data from State Sanitary Works (OSE), the reservoir accumulates 2,225,331 meters, although the figure should rise due to the latest rainfall.
However, this dam that feeds from the basin of the Santa Lucia River it remains well below its storage potential, which is close to 70 million cubic meters of water, Prensa Latina recalled.
Meanwhile, the controversy continues over statements by the Minister of Health, Karina Randowho before the Parliamentary Health Committee He said that the water delivered by OSE in Montevideo and the surrounding area is drinkable under current conditions.
Several parliamentarians recalled that the official herself recommended that pregnant women, babies and people with various chronic diseases refrain from drinking that water and, on the contrary, consume bottled water.
Dr. Rando herself and the Minister of the Environment, Robert Bouvieragreed at the time that the water that comes out of the tap is drinkable, but not potable.
Tap water in Montevideo and the metropolitan area, where 60% of the population lives, has high parameters of chlorides and sodium, since it comes from the Silver river. It is the strategy applied to be able to maintain the current supply of OSE, after Paso Severino practically ran dry due to the drought that has persisted for three years.
According to the latest report on the OSE water qualitytotal water consumption in Montevideo and the metropolitan area fell on Thursday from 503,666 m3/day to 492,370 m3/day.
In pumping line 4 an increase of 670 mg/l to 682 mg/l was registered in the chloridewhile in pumping line 5 an increase from 637 mg/l to 674 mg/l was found, and in pumping line 6 an increase from 648 mg/l to 667 mg/l was recorded.
Meanwhile, the levels of sodium measured registered an increase from 405 mg/l to 411 mg/l in line 4, from 387 mg/l to 407 mg/l in line 5, and from 393 mg/l to 403 mg/l in line 6.
Source: Ambito
