Uruguay's capital tries to quench its thirst

In a leafy park in the capital of the South American nation of Uruguay, heavy drilling equipment is on a mission to find an urgent water source.

For the past 10 days, the hum of machinery has echoed through the urban landscape. “There’s always a plan B,” said Valeria Arballo, a geologist overseeing the search for groundwater.

Arballo is located in Batlle, a 60-hectare park that acts as a green lung for the capital Montevideo. Heavy machinery is working to tap groundwater to supply hospitals and schools.

Workers at the state-owned water company OSE drill for groundwater in a park in the capital Montevideo on June 6. Photo: AFP — Workers at the state-owned water company OSE drill for groundwater in a park in the capital Montevideo on June 6. Photo: *AFP*

“We have to drill for water in Montevideo because of the water crisis,” said Arballo, project manager of the Groundwater Unit of OSE, the state-owned water company.

Two new wells, one 42 meters deep and the other 90 meters deep, have been put into operation. Water from these two wells is treated before being supplied to the people. The government may drill more wells.

Montevideo, Uruguay’s most populous city of 1.8 million, has long relied on surface water. But the past three years of drought have been the city’s worst in 70 years, so OSE has decided to tap its groundwater.

As the drills work, tankers carry fresh water from a plant east of the city to Batlle Park. The water is transferred to smaller trucks and delivered to hospitals and institutions in need.

Water shortages in the Montevideo metropolitan area are alarming. Fresh water reserves in the capital and surrounding areas are expected to run out soon if it does not rain.

The city’s main source of fresh water is Lake Paso Severino, 85 kilometers north of the capital. The lake’s water levels are at an all-time low. On June 7, the lake held 4.4 million cubic meters of water, a fraction of its 67 million cubic meter capacity.

Montevideo consumes an average of 550,000 cubic meters of water a day. To prevent water depletion, OSE has been mixing brackish water from points near the Plate River with lake water, to the displeasure of consumers.

"The water is very salty and sometimes murky, undrinkable," said Marcelo Fernandez, 43, an employee at a shopping mall.

Water is transferred from a large tanker to a small one to be transported to a hospital in front of the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo on June 6. Photo: AFP — Water is transferred from a large tanker to a small one to be transported to a hospital in front of the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo on June 6. Photo: *AFP*

This week, the health agency extended an emergency permit allowing higher levels of sodium and chloride in water through July 20. It also allowed for an increase in THMs, chemical compounds that form when water is chlorinated and are harmful if consumed over many years.

"Increasing THMs for 45 days certainly does not affect health," said Health Minister Karina Rando.

A 6.25-liter bottle of purified water costs about $3.40 in Montevideo. Sales of bottled purified water increased 224% in May compared to the same month last year, according to research released this week.

Scientists predict no rain until June 19. “Rain will ease the pressure, but the drilling for groundwater will continue,” Araballo said.

Hong Hanh (According to AFP )

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