Public drinking supply endangered by low reservoir levels, salt water added.

Uruguay Faces Drinking Water Crisis as Reservoir Levels Drop Dangerously Low

A serious drought has left Uruguay with a drinking water crisis so severe that the government has taken the unprecedented step of supplementing its shrinking supply with salt water. According to Reuters, dwindling reserves of fresh water in the country’s main reservoir forced the public water company to mix supplies with water from the River Plate estuary, resulting in unusually high levels of sodium and chlorides.

Now, residents of the South American country are complaining of the salty taste and the health implications of the move. Public anger over water shortages is building, with street demonstrations planned in the capital.

Health Implications

The tap water now contains 421 milligrams per liter, which is 50 percent over the country’s previous limit and more than double the World Health Organization’s recommended level. Chloride levels are high, too, at 686 milligrams per liter. The U.S. Embassy in Uruguay issued a countrywide alert in May, advising pregnant women or people with chronic kidney disease, cardiac failure, or cirrhosis to avoid drinking water supplied by the national water company and to use bottled water to make infant formula. Those taking medication for hypertension or diuretic medication were also advised to limit their intake of the water and to check their blood pressure often.

For those with medical issues such as kidney disease and hypertension, doctors in Montevideo have been writing prescriptions for bottled water, which can be redeemed at local stores. Public Health Minister Karina Rando said that for the population in general, it is not a health problem, according to the Washington Post.

Causes of the Crisis

The crisis was precipitated by low rainfall and high temperatures, according to Reuters. The Telegraph attributed the crisis to a long list of resource-management missteps. Marcel Achkar, a researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Environment of the University of the Republic of Engineering Faculty of Science, said, “We are facing a more severe drought than usual, but the crisis is an accumulation of mismanagement: deforestation in springs, degradation of resources, agricultural intensification, buffer zones and degraded wetlands, over-consumption, and unplanned consumption.”

Daniel Panario, director of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, told the Telegraph that Uruguay’s booming timber and soybean industries have contributed to the water shortage. “The invasion of soybeans has fundamentally affected the quality of water bodies,” he said. “Afforestation also affects the quantity and quality of water, which drastically reduces the amount of water in rivers and reduces their self-purification capacity.”

Conclusion

The water shortage is Uruguay’s worst in 74 years, and the situation is dire. The government is taking steps to address the crisis, but it may take time to see results. In the meantime, residents are advised to take precautions and use bottled water whenever possible.

“We are facing a more severe drought than usual, but the crisis is an accumulation of mismanagement: deforestation in springs, degradation of resources, agricultural intensification, buffer zones and degraded wetlands, over-consumption, and unplanned consumption.” – Marcel Achkar, researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Environment of the University of the Republic of Engineering Faculty of Science