The mayor of Montevideo, Caroline Cosse, said this Saturday at a press conference that, according to the information provided by OSE, the city would stop having water “in potable conditions” in the environment of the next 30 days and announced that the Administration will ask the National Emergency System (Sinae) to issue a alert the population.
Authorities of the Municipality of Montevideo met this Saturday morning with representatives of the Departmental Emergency Coordination Center (Cecoed) of Sinae to create a work table on potability and availability of water in the metropolitan area.
“It follows from the information that we have obtained a situation in which In around 20 or 30 days, if nothing changes, we would stop having drinkable water, but not sanitary water“, the mayor said at a press conference and added that OSE is taking “a number of measures” in this regard. “We have a drought that has lasted longer than the longest has historically lasted. Climate change hits us hard,” she said.
In addition, he reported that The Municipality of Montevideo is going to propose to Sinae that it declare “a situation of alert”. “This declaration is a call to attention to the population so that we all understand the situation we are in, and so that each and every one of us take our responsible actions in daily life,” he added.
Regarding the measures that he intends to put into practice within the framework of this dialogue table with Cecoed, Cosse indicated that it was agreed to create a work team, together with OSE, to make a survey of water wells –both from the commune, as well as from volunteers who communicate through the WhatsApp of the Intendancy– to then carry out the tasks of sampling, measuring and treating the water.
“The OSE has conveyed to us its intention to incorporate tanker trucks to distribute drinking water, especially in the most vulnerable areas. In particular, he has expressed his willingness to cover hospitals and dialysis centerseven be able to reach schools“, informed the mayor and announced that they will work together within the framework of Cecoed in the logistics of the transfer of the 50 trucks that will be used for the task, which can cause changes in the traffic of the neighborhoods.
The mayor also requested that the commune participate jointly in meetings with the water packaging industry: “In this scenario, as it is proposed, it would be important to call for the greatest collaboration and the best possible innovation capacity of all of society, including the private sector,” he said.
He also referred to the creation of protocols, with “clear messages” and “recommendations” for the general population, within the framework of Cecoed
“We strongly suggest that the OSE, the URSEA, or both, publish the results of the analyzes in a systematic way so that the entire population can know the information but also so that the private sector can provide solutions, so that the academy and the universities can also provide scientific solutions to help us in this delicate situation regarding such an important resource for Montevideo and Uruguay,” added the mayor.
