
Drought strains Uruguay's economy

Uruguay increasingly has to fend off effects of water scarcity, while authorities are moving to secure provision for human consumption.
Argentina, Chile and Bolivia have taken similar steps.
An agricultural emergency was declared in October and recently extended through April as the situation has not improved, according to a press release by the agriculture ministry.
Since the original declaration, 1,300 producers had requested assistance from an emergency fund, with over half of the applications having been submitted this month.
Other measures include subsidized loans with extended deadlines, agreements with departmental governments to supply water and additional financial assistance for producers, lower electricity bills for those who require irrigation and postponing tax payments.
But human consumption is at risk as well. The head of state water utility OSE, Raúl Montero, said last week that the Metropolitan area, which includes the Montevideo and Canelones departments, has water for only 80 more days, while areas in the east are under even more strain.
He told Radio Carve that OSE was planning to move water from the Metropolitan area to alleviate the situation.
An OSE flagship water project, the US$200mn Neptuno plant plus pipelines, was approved by the utility’s board in late 2022 and would improve water access in the Metropolitan area.
However, OSE workers’ unions and left-wing lawmakers are opposing the project with legal measures because private companies are involved. They claim the project would lead to water privatization and contradict a 2004 plebiscite, which established water distribution and sanitation as public services.
The government defends the project, saying that while the treatment plant will be built by a private party, OSE will be the administrator.
Subscribe to the leading business intelligence platform in Latin America with different tools for Providers, Contractors, Operators, Government, Legal, Financial and Insurance industries.
News in: Water & Waste (Uruguay)

Uruguay's OSE pumping US$246mn into sanitation works
Uruguay will carry out sanitation works ranging from new wastewater treatment plants to expansions of sewerage networks.

Uruguay's latest PPP project expected this year - finance ministry
Authorities are expected to unveil in the coming weeks the latest project to be implemented under a public-private partnership scheme.
Subscribe to Latin America’s most trusted business intelligence platform.
Other projects in: Water & Waste (Uruguay)
Get critical information about thousands of Water & Waste projects in Latin America: what stages they're in, capex, related companies, contacts and more.
- Project: Neptuno project - Arazatí water treatment plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 days ago
- Project: Renovation of the Rincón de Baygorria hydroelectric plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
3 weeks ago
- Project: Plant for management, reception, recovery and final disposal of solid waste in Canelones
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 months ago
- Project: Biomethanol plant Montevideo - Canelones
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 months ago
- Project: Salto Grande hydroelectric complex modernization and improvement (first stage)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
6 months ago
- Project: Paysandú wastewater treatment plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
1 year ago
- Project: Casupá reservoir
- Current stage:
- Updated:
2 years ago
- Project: Fray Bentos wastewater treatment plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
3 years ago
- Project: Uruguay river dredging works - Stage II
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 years ago
- Project: Treinta y Tres water treatment plant and improvement of facilities
- Current stage:
- Updated:
4 years ago
Other companies in: Water & Waste (Uruguay)
Get critical information about thousands of Water & Waste companies in Latin America: their projects, contacts, shareholders, related news and more.
- Company: Consorcio Saceem-Andritz
- Company: Obras Sanitarias del Estado  (OSE)
-
Uruguay's state water utility OSE provides water and sewerage services nationwide. It is also involved in the study, construction and upkeep of company-related works. OSE is als...
- Company: Stiler S.A.  (Stiler)
- Company: INSUELOS S.R.L.  (INSUELOS)
- Company: Consorcio Teyma-Chediack
-
The Teyma-Lavigne-Chediak consortium is made up of construction companies Abengoa Teyma (50%) of Uruguay and Lavigne Proyectos Integrales and Chediack of Argentina. Spain's Aben...
- Company: Kemira Uruguay S.A.  (Kemira Uruguay)
-
The description included in this profile was taken directly from an official source and has not been modified or edited by BNamericas’ content team. However, it may have been au...
- Company: Consorcio Aguas de Montevideo
- Company: Corporación Nacional para el Desarrollo  (CND)
-
Uruguay's state-owned national development corporation CND operates as a holding company and is one of Uruguay's major economic groups, with capital in enterprises in a variety ...