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What happened, where and when?
The lack of rainfall since September 2022 had caused a significant reduction in the availability and access to water in the country. This situation was affected by the presence of the La Niña phenomenon in the region and the increase in temperatures during the summer season.
On 20 January, the Uruguayan government, through the National Emergency System (SINAE), made a formal request to the Uruguayan Red Cross to assist in the assessment of needs and possible response to the consequences of the drought.
During the summer season (December 2022 to February 2023), the average rainfall was 126.4 mm, 225.4 mm below the average value of the reference period. The summer of 2023 was the driest of the last 42 years on record.
According to data from the Uruguayan Institute of Meteorology (INUMET), the entire country was affected by drought, with 20.51% of the territory, equivalent to 3,623,300 hectares under extreme drought.
The drought affected the entire country, although at the beginning of the operation, the most affected departments were mainly in the interior of the country and cattle-raising areas (Tacuarembó, Cerro Largo, Florida, Lavalleja and San José). As the operation progressed, according to information provided by SINAE, the most complex situation was related to the lack of access to safe water which limited the consumption and use of water by families. The Paso Severino dam, which supplies water to Montevideo and the metropolitan area (an area where more than 2,000,000 people live), reached a minimum reserve of 1.84% of its capacity. For this reason, Obras Sanitarias del Estado (OSE) had to increase the minimum permitted levels of salinity and chlorine in the water. The new permitted figures were 420 mg/l of sodium and 720 mg/l of chlorine; however, the latest reports stated that the parameters present in the water were above these values, despite the established limits.
Although the Ministry of Public Health (MSP) assured during the emergency that the water was still potable and that its consumption would not have adverse effects on the health of the population, it issued specific recommendations for people with arterial hypertension, renal problems, pregnant women and nursing mothers. On the other hand, the Faculty of Chemistry of the Universidad de la República (UDELAR) issued the following recommendations:
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Water should be boiled for 3 to 5 minutes before cooking, since trihalomethanes were largely eliminated during boiling.
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Short baths should be taken in ventilated places to reduce the inhalation of these compounds.
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If wells and water filters were available, their quality and maintenance should be periodically analyzed.
Likewise, during the month of June 2023, the most significant rainfall was recorded in the Northeast and East of the country, especially in the departments of Cerro Largo and Tacuarembó. At the national level, the average precipitation in June 2023 was 35.5 mm, lower than the climatological average expected for this month, which was 91.9 mm. As for the frequency of rainy days, it was also below the climatological average, with only 4 days compared to the average of 6 days (based on the 1981-2010 reference period). As for precipitation anomalies, they were negative throughout the country, with the South and Southwest being the region with the greatest water deficit. The anomalies ranged from -5.2% in Arbolito (Cerro Largo) to -98.8% in Nueva Palmira (Colonia). An evaluation carried out by the National Institute of Meteorology (INUMET), between April and June 2023, showed that the water deficit persisted in the country, especially in the central-south, southwest and east regions.
In view of this situation, on 5 July, the creation of a Water Emergency Fund was approved as a matter of urgency, under the ownership and administration of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). Its main objective was to provide support to the health services to attend to the vulnerable population that could be affected, as well as to support those who were experiencing labor difficulties due to the current or future situation of water deficit in the country. It also sought to strengthen the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Social Development, the National Public Education Administration, the Uruguayan Institute for Children and Adolescents and the Social Security Bank, which worked together to protect the population.
During the winter months (July to August) there began to be more precipitation, mainly in the north of the country. However, throughout the winter, accumulated rainfall was below average and average temperatures were above normal throughout the country.
At the close of this operation, the source that feeds the water supply network of Montevideo and the metropolitan area is again at normal values, so that since 30 August the water has had normal sodium and chlorine values.
At the same time, during the last month there have been flooding events, mainly in the departments of Montevideo and Cerro Largo (in the latter there were historical floods) in which the National Society has distributed shelter and cleaning kits.