Uruguay Drought Spurs Bottled Water Sales Surge, Government Drills Wells

Bottled water sales soared 224%! Drill wells everywhere in the capital of this country! Response to the crisis
Uruguay, a South American country, is currently suffering from the worst drought in more than 70 years. Due to the drying up of water sources, there has been a serious shortage of drinking water in many areas, including the capital of Uruguay .

Uruguay has a population of about 3.5 million, of which about 1.8 million live in Montevideo, the capital of the country. The city’s residents’ living and agricultural water sources mainly come from two reservoirs: Canelon Reservoir and Paso Severi Nuo Reservoir. However, due to the continuous drought, both reservoirs are currently almost dry, and parched land can be seen everywhere.

Sanchez , a resident near the Severino Reservoir in Paso, Uruguay : People have already felt the disaster. They look at the dry lake bed and the reappeared stone bridge. This bridge has been submerged for many years , and now it is like a crumbling skeleton.

In order to supplement the water source, the local water affairs department had to use water from some rivers before, which caused the tap water to be too salty, and many people could not drink it and could only buy bottled water. In Montevideo, a 6.25-liter bottle of water currently sells for about $3.40 (about 25 yuan).

Statistics show that in May, sales of bottled water in Montevideo increased by 224% year-on-year.

Some Uruguayans have staged numerous protests in Montevideo amid the water Earlier in June, the Uruguayan government announced tax exemptions for mineral and sparkling water sold in and around Montevideo. In addition, Montevideo, a city traditionally dependent on surface water, is currently drilling wells everywhere, hoping to help alleviate the crisis by pumping groundwater.