Uruguay capital reservoir nearly dry, officials adding salt water to public drinking supply

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Uruguay capital reservoir nearly dry, officials adding salt water to public drinking supply

Residents in Uruguay are drinking salty water from public taps amid a heat wave and drought that has left the capital reservoir nearly dry.

The Paso Severino reservoir, the lifeline for over half of the country's 3.4 million citizens, is now reported to be at a mere 5% of its capacity. The scarcity of fresh water has pushed the State Sanitary Works Administration to take urgent and unprecedented measures.

In an attempt to address the crisis, the Administration obtained permission earlier this month to temporarily increase the permissible limits of sodium and chloride in public drinking water, allowing the introduction of saltwater from where the Atlantic Ocean and Uruguay rivers meet into the supply.

However, this solution has had significant repercussions. Last week, the government reported that sodium levels in tap water have surged to 421 milligrams per liter, more than twice the World Health Organization's recommendations. Chloride, too, is now recorded at 686 milligrams per liter, exceeding the previously authorized limit by 50%.

Residents have reported an unpleasant salty taste to their water and many have cut their water intake because they say they can't afford bottled water.

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