2023-07-14 04:58:31
The supply of drinking water in Uruguay is facing a worrying crisis that affects 60% of the population. The quality of the water has decreased considerably, reaching alarming levels of salinity in its composition. This situation has serious consequences, especially for the most vulnerable groups, such as children, adolescents, pregnant women, and people with chronic illnesses. The Uruguayan health authorities have recognized the risk and have urged the population to buy bottled water for human consumption.
The UN statement says that, despite recommendations to reduce water consumption in homes, the Uruguayan government has not imposed the same restrictions on consumers on a large scale, including industries that use water for production. This lack of equitable measures has generated criticism from experts, who point out that the overexploitation of water by some industries contributes to the problem of salinity and the scarcity of drinking water.
He also spoke of a water infrastructure that has suffered failures that have contributed to increased salinity in the drinking water supply. In addition, prolonged periods without rain have aggravated the situation.
However, human rights experts point out that the underlying problem is the overexploitation of water, especially by certain industries in the country. This has generated warnings about the pollution and water scarcitywhich negatively affects the quality of life of the population.
The reaction of the Uruguayan government saying that there are “inaccuracies”
All this was observed by the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo Agudoin conjunction with the Working Group on Business and Human Rightsin a statement published on the website of the United Nations Organization, unleashing an unfriendly reaction on the part of the government of Luis Lacalle Pou.
On the website of the Chancellery of the Republic, the government expressed itself regarding this UN statement, alleging alleged “inaccuracies”.
“To date, the values established in the exceptionality are not considered alarming since the authorized increase in order to ensure the supply has been evaluated by the health and academic authorities; and it has been considered that it is possible that the vast majority of the general population, with the exception of some special groups with greater vulnerability to excessive salt consumption, can continue consuming it,” says the Foreign Ministry’s response.
“To support people in vulnerable situations, the beneficiaries of the Ministry of Social Development receive economic support to purchase 60 liters of water per month, equivalent to 1 in 3 inhabitants of the affected area (2 liters of water per day per person)”, he continues.
The full response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Given the inaccuracies in the statement issued by the Special Rapporteur on the human right to drinking water and sanitation and the Working Group on Business and Human Rights, the Government of Uruguay reiterates:
1. To date, the values established in the exceptionality are not considered alarming since the authorized increase in order to ensure the supply has been evaluated by the health and academic authorities; and it has been considered that it is possible that the vast majority of the general population, with the exception of some special groups with greater vulnerability to excessive salt consumption, can continue consuming it.
2. To support people in a situation of vulnerability, the beneficiaries of the Ministry of Social Development receive economic support to purchase 60 liters of water per month, equivalent to 1 in 3 inhabitants of the affected area (2 liters of water per day per person).
The measure covers the following groups:
– Households in Montevideo and Canelones in vulnerable situations with minors receiving Family Allowances – Equity Plan. In this case, the benefit applies to all members of the nucleus.
– Beneficiaries of the Uruguay Social Card (TUS) of Montevideo and Canelones who are not included in the Family Allowances – Equity Plan.
– Older people who reside in Montevideo and Canelones and receive Old Age Assistance (AV) or Old Age Pension (who previously received AV).
– Retirees and pensioners who receive minimum pensions.
Considering pregnant women and children under 2 years of age ―who already have the benefit since May 19 of this year―, the Government will be covering more than 540,000 Uruguayans with access to bottled water to ensure daily needs in this water emergency.
3. For prevent failure of water infrastructure and preserve Public HealthOSE and the Government built a strategy on the following pillars:
to. Maintain the continuity of public supply without making supply cuts, avoiding biological contamination (microbiological, bacteriological, virological, parasitic, etc.) of the distribution networks, connections and reserves, protecting the population against biological risks (bacteriological, virological, hydrobiological and parasitic), which according to what is recommended by the World Health Organization itself, should be a priority control against other types of risks such as chemical risks, which are generally chronic, and not acute and generalized like biohazards.
The continuity of the service of the distribution networks and the internal pressure is what guarantees the protection against biological risks.
b. Maintain the sanitation service so that the more than 550,000 homes in the Metropolitan Region can evacuate domestic wastewater, which prevents the emergence of a scenario of enormous health danger and the spread of diseases, and mainly protecting the health of the population and Public Health in general.
Likewise, to maintain the dignity of people in daily life. Without continuity of the water service, there will be no possibility of evacuating the wastewater from the bathrooms of the 550,000 homes.
c. Keep the distribution networks operational continuously for combating and protecting against fires and urban accidents. Thus protecting the lives of people in the first place, and public and private property.
4. The Government never recommended reducing human consumption of water, but rather reducing it in non-essential activities in order to ensure better water quality for a longer period of time.
Definitely:
The Government acted preventively, the water continues to be drinkable, and guaranteed the most vulnerable sectors the purchase of double the daily average of water consumed per person in our country.
All decisions on the quality of the water delivered to the public service have been made with the prior and mandatory approval of the Ministry of Public Health, which has consulted the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, the Academy of Medicine , to the Faculties of Medicine and Chemistry of the UdelaR and to specialists.
Surveillance actions have been strengthened to monitor possible impacts on health and to date no health events directly related to changes in water salinity have been detected or reported.
Press Office
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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