There is one country where drought has been so severe this year that authorities have had to add saltwater to the aqueducts that supply water to citizens’ homes. This is Uruguay, which is experiencing the worst water crisis in its history this year. “In the three years between 2020 and 2022, we recorded the same level of precipitation as in two normal years, 2,450 mm,” said Raul Viñas, a meteorologist and member of the environmental NGO Movimiento por un Uruguay Sustentable (Movus). This is the worst drought the nation has ever experienced, due to the combined impact of the natural phenomenon La Niña and climate change causing a lack of precipitation in this part of the world.
The resources that feed the capital Montevideo and its surroundings, which are home to approximately 60 percent of the population of this country with a population of 3.4 million, are at historically low levels unless it rains. To prevent the faucets from drying out, in April OSE (Obras Sanitarias del Estado, public water distribution company) proposed the following solution: Mix the remaining small reserve of public drinking water with water from the Río de la Plata. The fresh waters of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers meet the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, sodium in tap water reached 421 milligrams per liter in late May. This is more than double the WHO recommendation, 50% above the limit previously allowed by Uruguay, and 10 times the historical levels of the system. Chloride reached 686 milligrams per liter of chloride, which is 50% higher than the previous allowable limit.
This means that the water that comes out of the tap, which the public uses for cooking, making coffee or even drinking, is salty and therefore absolutely unpleasant. “It’s not a health issue for the general population,” said public health minister Karina Rando when the measure was announced. However, the ministry issued a warning: “For people with medical advice for hypertension, kidney disease and a low salt diet, constant blood pressure checks, not neglecting doctor’s checks and consuming bottled water whenever possible”.
Many citizens have had to buy a special $350 filter that not everyone can afford, or are forced to use only bottled water for cooking or even making coffee. But in a country where drinking water is considered one of the purest in the world, the cost of buying bottled water is choking family budgets. The national government has suspended taxes on imported bottled water, and Montevideo is subsidizing purchases for the most vulnerable residents.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
