Last week the Paso Severino dam, the capital’s main source of water, lost one million cubic meters of the vital liquid.

That figure is similar to its current flow, which is less than 2% of total capacity, some 70 million cubic meters.

The water being supplied by Obras Sanitarias del Estado is drinkable but not potable, due to high chloride and sodium parameters.

When Paso Severino dries up, it will be the end of drinkable water, as defined by the Minister of the Environment, Robert Bouvier. It will be necessary to resort to the Rio de la Plata, so the water will have the category of sanitary water. This means that it is used for sanitation, cleaning and washing, but it is not suitable for human consumption.

Water from the Río de la Plata has higher levels of chlorides, sodium and sediments, so it will require higher chlorine standards.

A provisional reservoir is being built to transfer water from the San José River to the Santa Lucía, whose basin feeds Paso Severino.

According to President Luis Lacalle Pou, the work will be completed in a month and will allow the supply, but with the current levels and quality of water, which is not drinkable.

Other sources indicate that the work will take longer, while meteorologists do not agree on the arrival of the rains, which some predict for September and others for the end of November and beginning of December.

In Uruguay there is a national agricultural emergency due to the drought, while in Montevideo, Canelones and the metropolitan area the government decreed a water emergency.

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