Uruguay turns to salt water for drinking

Uruguay's capital Montevideo faces the danger of running out of drinking water as the country, and the region, face the worst drought in more than 80 years.

Montevideo authorities have taken drastic steps to keep tap water flowing, including mixing saltwater into the freshwater supply, cutting taxes on bottled water, and delivering free water to people in need. Elsewhere, agricultural production across the country has fallen by about a third.

The unprecedented measure to stretch the dwindling water supply by adding saltwater has had mixed reviews. Bottled water sales have surged amid complaints that tap water tastes bad and is undrinkable. Authorities have stood by their last-resort effort.

Water from Montevideo's main source, the Santa Lucia River, has had to be increasingly augmented with brackish water from the River Plate.

The estuary itself has also had less freshwater input from the Uruguay and Parana rivers, which both start in Brazil, as the worst drought in decades batters the continent's southern cone.

The Ministry of Health has declared tap water fit for consumption for the general population and advised everyone to consume the recommended daily amount.

Montevideo's main source of water before the drought was the Paso Severino dam, but its reserves are down to 2 percent. The secondary source, now being used as an emergency alternative, is the Rio de la Plata estuary, where the Uruguay and Parana Rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean.

"What is being done now is taking 70 percent from the Rio de la Plata (estuary), and 30 percent of fresh water (from Paso Severino) and mixing, purifying and distributing it, but that percentage of fresh water is decreasing," said Marcel Achkar, a professor in the Faculty of Sciences of the University of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

"It is now estimated that between 30 and 40 percent of the population is consuming water (from the tap)," he said, noting that the water is unsuitable for those with sodium-related conditions such as hypertension and renal diseases.

Beyond sodium content, the expense of bottled water has been noted.

On June 22, the government suspended taxes on bottled water and put in place a plan to supply two liters of bottled water a day at no cost to all needy households, which covers about 540,000 people, out of the almost 1.8 million population of Montevideo.

"The issue of the water crisis is another great opportunity to show the world that there is plenty of capacity to propose a solution to the water emergency and also to demonstrate that the Uruguayan people are resilient," said Maria Supervielle, an international relations consultant in Montevideo.

Weather forecasts suggest that rainfall in the coming months may help normalize the situation.

"The positive thing is that it is expected to be one year of El Nino phenomenon so that from September or October the rains begin with normal or even a little above normal rainfall," said Agustin Damboriarena, manager at the Uruguayan Chamber of Seeds.

Outside Montevideo, the country's agricultural sector has been badly hit by the drought, Damboriarena said.

Damboriarena, who lives in Montevideo, says he still uses water from the tap to cook but uses bottled water for direct consumption.

"Water is still coming out and in fact now the reserves with these last rains are beginning to grow. So, hopefully, God willing, the situation will normalize, it is not as chaotic as we think it is," Damboriarena said.

Agencies contributed to this story.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.