SBI awarded the Arazati project to the consortium Montevideo waters, who will be responsible for materializing the project that provides for the construction of a new water treatment plant in the Arazatí spa, in the department of Saint Joseph.
The chosen consortium was the one that presented the original project and was validated by the majority of the board of directors. It is made up of four companies: Berkes SA, SACEEM SA, CIEMSA and FAST Ltda, as reported on its Twitter account by the OSE Vice President, Susana Montaner. Another consortium made up of Teyma and Compañía Electrónica Industrial had also been submitted to the tender, but Montevideo waters He was the one who presented the best offer.
The novelty was celebrated by the Senator from the Colorado Party, Adrián Peña Robaina, who highlighted that it is “a historic day” and stressed: “The most important investment in drinking water in 150 years has just been awarded.”
It is worth noting that the construction period is calculated in two and a half years and the investment that the government foresees is 250 million dollars, although from the Broad Front they warn that they will amount to about 890 million dollars.
Between the criticisms of the Broad Front and the environmental impacts
In a critical tone with the Arazati project, Director of SBI on behalf of Broad Front, Edgardo Ortuño, expressed through Twitter that “the water crisis demonstrated the need for works to dam the fresh water that we lacked (Casupá dams, Solís Chico, dams) ensuring drinking water and to lose less.”
In the same way, Ortuno questioned that “the government decides to do Arazati with private management” and estimated the costs at 300 million dollars more than if it were private management. SBI, for which he considered that he is “weakening” the state company.
Regarding the feasibility of the project, a report prepared by the consulting firm CSI Ingenieros and presented by SBI before him Ministry of Environment anticipated that it can cause 93 types of environmental impacts in the area, of which 27 present a “significant negative potential.”
The survey slipped that “they need a specific evaluation” and, among the main questions, noted that the creation of the artificial lagoon contemplated in the initiative would modify “surface runoff and the hydraulic regime of watercourses”, which would trigger “erosions”. of soil and the potential “contamination” of groundwater, among other problems.
Source: Ambito
