The situation has become so bad that residents are being forced to drink salty tap water and workers are drilling wells in the center of the capital to reach the water beneath the ground. Another, the Paso Severino, which normally serves 60% of the country’s population with fresh water, has seen the largest decrease in water levels on record. Water levels could be depleted completely in early July, according to local media reports. Low water levels at the Canelón Grande reservoir on March 13, 2023. As well as tasting salty, Uruguayan officials say the tap water also has a high level of chlorides, sodium, and trihalomethanes.

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Persons: Luis Lacalle Pou, It’s, Paso Severino, Ernesto Ryan, Carlos Santos, “, ”, Karina Rando, Lacalle Pou, Santos, Eitan Abramovich, ‘, Daniel Panario, Panario, OSE, Ana Ferreira, ” Friederike Otto, Miguel Doria, hydrologist, Uruguay “, Doria, ” Gerardo Amarilla, ” Doria Organizations: CNN —, National Commission, Defense of Water, University of, CNN, of Public Health, ”, Getty, Parque, of Ecology, University of the, Bloomberg, United Nations Educational, Cultural Organization, UNESCO, Uruguay’s Ministry of, United, Montevideo don’t Locations: CNN — Uruguay, American, Uruguay, country’s, Montevideo, Republic, la Plata, Paso, South America’s, San, ”, University of the Republic, America, Argentina, Caribbean, United Nations