The water crisis It is not yet over for the metropolitan area of Uruguay, although some of the significant and representative figures of what the water emergency generated —and generates— in the affected areas. In this sense, a report from the Catholic University of Uruguay (UCU) revealed that the importation of water exceeded the record of 2013 between the drought and the disturbances of the supply of the National Administration of State Sanitary Works (OSE).
Although the quality of the water that reaches the metropolitan area improves day by day, thanks to the increase in reserves in the reservoir of Severine Pass —Where does the plant get its supply from? running waters of OSE, which supplies Montevideo and its surroundings—, the last weeks of excess salinity in the liquid for consumption led to an important increase in the importation of bottled water, especially after the authorization of the government and the VAT exemption for bottled water.
Many companies in the local market began to import water from other countries, according to the Institute of International Business from the UCU; between them, Salus, Nestlé, Moldes Ruibal and Uruguayan Marine Safety. Based on the data collected and processed by the institution, in the first half of the year water imports were made for a total amount of 86,372 dollars. This meant a 13.6% more than the record import that had occurred in 2013, when purchases had been for 75,984 dollars.
“In the last 20 years, Uruguay has imported mineral water, although always for relatively low amounts. In the period 2003-2022, the maximum amount of exports was registered in 2013 and was 75,984 dollars”, indicated the UCU report.
“The drought and the disturbances in the water supplied by OSE have diversified the uses of mineral water and increased its consumption. As proof of this, only in the first half of 2023, imports exceed those made in 2013”, detailed the document that sought to account for just one of the effects of the water crisis in the country.
In addition, the amount recorded in the first half of 2023 is 86.8% higher than that registered in the same period last year and this growth was mainly caused by an increase in imported volumes, which reached 265.7% in the same period. According to data from the UCU, Moldes Ruibal imported from Italy 56.6% of the total, Nestlé represented 24.4%, Salus represented 11.9% —since Argentina- and Uruguayan Marine Safety the remaining 7% since Norway.
Water purchases have been concentrated in the months of May and Junewith 55% if the amount is considered and 79.9% if the volumes are considered.
Reserves are recovered in Paso Severino
The water reserves of Paso Severino continue to increase, according to the report on Water Emergency published by the Presidency, while consumption is growing, while the salinity in the supply of OSE he is chasing downward general numbers.
After weeks of bad news regarding the amount of drinking water available for the metropolitan area and Montevideo, the outlook is beginning to change for the country’s main drinking water reserve. According to the latest Presidency report on the water crisis, Severine Pass currently has 7,330,196 cubic meters of reserves compared to 6,510,340 in the last report, representing a 12.5% increase in just one day.
On the other hand, and in relation to the growth of reserves, the consumption of the population continues to grow with 504,819 cubic meters per day, compared to 499,196 cubic meters yesterday, obtaining an increase of 1.1%.
Likewise, for a week the salinity in the water began to drop considerably until Sunday, when some of the lowest levels were recorded according to the standards imposed by the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) of 720mg/l for chlorides, and 440mg/l for sodium. However, yesterday there was a small increase in salinity compared to the last report.
According to the latest report, the pumping line 4 that supplies the center of the capital of the country, the measurement of the daily average of chlorides reached 121mg/l and the 104mg/l of sodium. In the pumping line 5 that supplies water to the western zone of Montevideo and surroundings, the chlorides reached 108mg/l and sodium to 97mg/l. In turn, in the pump line 6 that supplies the east of the capital and its surroundings, the daily records of chlorides were 115mg/l and those of sodium 101mg/l.
Source: Ambito
