Chile starts operations at US$250mn desalination plant

Statement from the Presidency of Chile

This is a machine translation of the original press release issued in Spanish

The President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera, inaugurated this Wednesday the desalination plant for drinking water in the community of Caldera, Atacama region, which ensures water resources for the next 40 years in the area.

"It is a project that has been going on for a long time and arrives at the most opportune moment that could arrive. Drought is a very serious problem and for that reason we are designing and implementing a plan to prepare Chile," said the President at the new facilities. of the plant, accompanied by the Undersecretary of Public Works, Cristóbal Leturia.

The plant, whose construction considered an investment of US$250 million, is located in the Punta Zorro sector, in the Caldera commune. From there, the seawater is desalinated and pumped through 39 kilometers of pipes to the different supply points in the municipalities of Caldera, Chañaral, Copiapó and Tierra Amarilla.

The facilities will benefit more than 220,000 people in the area, which represents more than 75% of the regional population. The project is a real solution for the drought that affects the area.

With the start of operations of the plant, Atacama is the first region in Chile with water desalination facilities for human consumption. The plant is designed to produce 1,200 liters of drinking water per second.

The modern plant extracts seawater directly from the Caldera coast. Through pumps, the water is driven to three treatment stations to achieve desalination and become drinking water.

"The drought situation is an issue that corresponds to all of us. We all have to be part of the solution," concluded President Sebastián Piñera.