Works on the universal sanitation plan will begin in September

This is an automated translation of the original release published in Spanish.

Release from the Presidency of Uruguay

The Government announced in September the start of works on the project to universalize sanitation in 16 localities in Uruguay after signing the contract with the consortium of construction companies. The service, which will be installed in a total of 61 sites located in departments in the interior of the country, represents an improvement in the quality of life of 160,000 inhabitants and will generate more than 2,500 jobs.

The announcement was made on the afternoon of this Monday, July 29 at the Executive Tower, by the Secretary of the Presidency, Rodrigo Ferrés, and the Pro-Secretary, Mariana Cabrera, who were accompanied by the Minister of the Environment, Robert Bouvier; the president of OSE, Raúl Montero, and the vice president of that organization, Susana Montaner.

In his speech, Ferrés reported that the Government signed the universal sanitation project contract with the companies Saceem, Ciemsa, Teyma, and Fast.

It is the largest investment project in the history of OSE, with around US$400 million and will cover 820 kilometers of sanitation networks in 61 locations. Likewise, more than 57,000 connections will be made in homes and 43 structural plants will be created, which will benefit more than 160,000 people, as detailed.

Bouvier, meanwhile, highlighted the sustainability of the project and assured that the Government considered, through environmental policies, a “more helpless” population, which will be able to access the sanitary sewage service. “For the first time, the Executive Branch will financially support OSE infrastructure works,” which will generate more than 2,500 jobs, he stressed.

For his part, Montero added that work will begin in September in 16 locations, and 8 months later, more sites will be incorporated into the project. In Uruguay, only 50% of clustered homes are connected to the sanitary sewerage, that figure will rise to just over 70% with this plan, he said.

In addition, he maintained that this service is vitally important for health, so the country will strengthen its “great shield” against water-borne diseases.