An unusual drought has been affecting the Montevideo water reserve and the metropolitan area in Uruguay without precedent. “The water is no longer drinkable, it has a lot of salt, a lot of sodium”, comments the meteorologist Nubel Cisneros to Trade (GDA group newspaper). As an alternative, many people are consuming bottled water. The situation is not very encouraging for the next few days.
(Read here. Lack of water and destroyed crops: the drought that threatens the countryside in Uruguay)
“This crisis affects Montevideo and the metropolitan area, that is, the surroundings of the capital. All this area is fed by the same source of drinking water. In the north of the country the situation is different because they have had rains”, mentions the meteorologist Nubel Cisneros.
According to the report on the water emergency situation issued on July 4, 2023, released by the Uruguayan presidency, The Paso Severino reserve has 1,121,711 cubic meters of water out of the 67,000,000 cubic meters that it has a capacity, that is, it is at 1.67%.
As recalled, on June 19, the Uruguayan government decreed a water emergency for Montevideo and the metropolitan area. For Nubel Cisneros, the situation is getting more and more complicated and he mentions that the source of drinking water in the Uruguayan capital is practically drying up.The Uruguayan meteorologist comments that “bottled water is being consumed for now” and some businesses, at times, are left without supplies of this product.
Uruguay faces one of the worst droughts in history
This country was, in 2004, the first in the world to recognize the right of access to drinking water in its Constitution.
Almost twenty years later, the drought prevents the capital, Montevideo, from fulfilling that guarantee – lis pic.twitter.com/vecEJ8igzb
— DW Spanish (@dw_espanol) July 5, 2023
This crisis affects Montevideo and the metropolitan area, that is, the surroundings of the capital. All this area is fed by the same source of drinking water.
“It is an unusual drought. This time it has lasted more than three years. This is a consequence of the Niña phenomenon, which in our region generates a rainfall deficit. This situation increased in the last year because we had one of the hottest summers in our history, with very high temperatures and with water consumption by the population that exceeded the expected levels.”, explains Nubel Cisneros.
The meteorologist indicated that the little water in the reserve is being mixed “with salt water from the Río de la Plata” at an estimated ratio of 2 fresh water and 1 salt water.
“It is expected that in 7 or 8 days the situation will be completely salt water. It will no longer have a mixture that makes it of better quality”, points.
Nubel Cisneros comments that in a normal situation in Montevideo the water can be drunk directly from the pipe, without the need to boil.
“Not now. The water is no longer drinkable, it has a lot of salt, a lot of sodium. It is expected that, in the absence of rain, The water can only be used for hygienic purposes, not for drinking or cooking.”concludes the Uruguayan specialist.
For his part, Ignacio Lorenzo, member of the Department of Environmental Development of the Municipality of Montevideo, in dialogue with CNN Radio Argentinahighlighted the complicated situation of the water reserve of the metropolitan region based on the Santa Lucía river. “This is a critical and unprecedented situation,” she said.
“All this caused the national government, two months ago and through the national public water company, to start mixing fresh water with salt water. This implies that the water that comes out of the taps has high chloride and sodium contents”, stated Ignacio Lorenzo.
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