Uruguay Government Confirms End To Water Crisis
The government of Uruguay has declared an end to its water crisis this week, after a record drought had pushed the country’s drinking water supply to the brink.
Freshwater reservoirs had dried up in the country’s worst water shortage since records began seventy years ago, and emergency measures had been introduced.
Back in April, state water companies had started mixing slightly salted (brackish) water from the Rio de Plata estuary into the drinking supply. Residents of the capital, used to drinking good quality tap water, turned to bottled water for drinking and even some cooking.
In May, the government progressively increased the levels of sodium and chloride to its drinking water, leading to higher levels of trihalomethanes, which can be harmful if consumed over long periods. While advising that tap water was still safe, the government caveated the declaration by advising pregnant women and sick people not to drink it.
By June, the government were financing two litres of mineral water a day for over 500,000 residents and had exempted bottled water from any taxes. It also approved the construction of a new dam and pipework to transfer water between two rivers. An estimated 70 million dollars was spent to alleviate the crisis.
However, President Luis Lacalle Pou confirmed this week that the recent rainfall had improved the supply of water to Montevideo, home to more than half of the Uruguay’s population, and confirmed the supply of water was now “very good”.
Apart from our weekly, direct FCL services to Uruguay, Envío International also offers our own fortnightly LCL consolidation service to Montevideo which also serves as a hub for groupage cargo to Santa Cruz in Bolivia, Rio Grande in Brazil and Rosario, Córdoba, Rafaela in Argentina.
We work with Pluscargo, a member of the Grupo RAS companies. Please contact us for rates and service details.
