Uruguay’s government is developing urgent social programs to address the historic crisis caused by drought. President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou warned that the unusual water shortage in Montevideo and the metropolitan area, due to an unprecedented drought, could worsen in the coming days.
The president acknowledged that if it does not rain, there will come a time when the water will be unfit for consumption. He explained that the scarce reserves will only be enough for washing and personal hygiene purposes, for which reason the government will strengthen the social programs already implemented to ensure that no one lacks drinking water.
Lacalle Pou pointed out that only about 5% of the water consumed in homes is fit to drink and that bottled water is currently being consumed. According to him, the solution is to wait for rain; in the meantime, adjustments must be made to deal with the situation.
The president reiterated that the Arazatí Project, which involves the construction of a new water treatment plant, will take at least two years. In the meantime, two liters of bottled water will be provided free of charge to the 510,000 Uruguayans affected by the lack of quality and scarcity of the resource.
Public unease is growing as water shortages persist.Authorities have taken measures to limit consumption and have turned to the Rio de la Plata estuary to blend water with existing reserves. However, this has increased the salinity levels of the water. Protests have been frequent, with slogans accusing the authorities of overexploitation of natural resources and plunder rather than drought.The freshwater supply at the Paso Severino dam has declined further this week, reaching historically low levels.
The Santa Lucia River, where water used to be obtained for the water treatment plant that supplies almost half of the population, is also experiencing minimal flow.The situation is critical, and water is expected to run out in the first half of July if there is no significant rainfall. Authorities continue to face the challenge of ensuring access to safe drinking water while seeking long-term solutions to the water crisis.