WASHINGTON, July 5, 2012 – The World Bank Board of Directors approved today a project to improve management at the State Sanitation Works Office (Administración de Obras Sanitarias del Estado, OSE) in Uruguay. The US$84 million Sustainable and Efficient OSE project will receive US$42 million from the World Bank, with the rest being financed by that public agency.

In recent years, OSE, the company responsible for delivering water and sanitation services in Uruguay, has faced operational challenges due to gravely distorted climate patterns that have led to floods and droughts.

In order to mitigate these risks, the project will promote greater reliability in the water supply and sanitation systems through improvements in OSE efficiency and management capacity. Projects to be financed include clean water plants in Durazno and Treinta y Tres (states in the center and north of Uruguay, with 110,000 inhabitants).

“This project implies a great opportunity to improve the company’s comprehensive management. It includes investments focused on improving the quality, reliability and security of the water supply; adapting and building infrastructure as well as promoting projects and engineering works to reduce the volume of water losses through activities aimed at an efficient energy use,” said Milton Machado, President of OSE. “Without a doubt, this loan will lend continuity to the improvements we have been carrying out, enabling us to continue with the modernization while making OSE more efficient.”