Construction of a new dam on the Santa Lucía River begins next week: it will cost US$500,000

2023-05-19 18:36:53

Santa Lucía River, the main water intake for purification that supplies Montevideo and Ciudad de la Costa.

The government is preparing to start construction on a major project that will boost water supply in Montevideo and the metropolitan area. The dam, located in the Belastiquí pass on the Santa Lucía river, will serve as a backup for water sources and will allow the capture of the vital resource during high tides.

This initiative aims to guarantee an adequate and reliable supply for the population of the Uruguayan capital and its surroundings.

Located approximately 10 kilometers from OSE’s water intake in Aguas Corrientes, on the border between San José and Canelones, the dam will play a fundamental role in strengthening the region’s water security. With the capacity to capture both salt water from the Río de la Plata and fresh water, the aim is to avoid drought in the Paso Severino area, the site where OSE extracts water to supply Montevideo and the metropolitan area.

The government will allocate an investment of US$500,000 to carry out this vitally important construction. The need to act lies in the historically low levels of the Paso Severino reserve, the main source of water supply, which is currently barely 10% of its full capacity.

With the construction of the dam in Belastiquí, an additional mechanism will be established to obtain water at critical moments, such as when the level of the Paso Severino reserve decreases considerably.

The capture of water during high tides will increase the availability of this fundamental resource and will minimize the impact of the drought on the daily life of the inhabitants of Montevideo and the metropolitan area.