{"id":50384234,"date":"2023-11-23T12:02:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T12:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogochino.net\/?post_type=photo_story&p=384234"},"modified":"2025-04-04T14:27:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T13:27:49","slug":"384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno","status":"publish","type":"photo_story","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/","title":{"rendered":"Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rain has finally arrived in the metropolitan area around Uruguay\u2019s capital, Montevideo, ending a water crisis that between May and August left more than 1.6 million<\/a> people without tap water fit for drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years of exceptionally low rainfall has exposed a key vulnerability in Uruguay, with 60% of the country\u2019s 3.5 million population supplied by the southerly Paso Severino reservoir. As the reservoir dried up, the government looked to meet shortfalls by turning to the brackish waters of the R\u00edo de la Plata \u2013 the estuary that divides Uruguay and Argentina, in which the fresh waters of the Paran\u00e1 and Uruguay rivers meet saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid similar crises, the government now plans to build a water treatment facility on the R\u00edo de la Plata, as well as a polder, a reclaimed area enclosed by dikes in which water can be drained and controlled \u2013 or in Uruguay\u2019s case, stored as a small reservoir for when availability is low. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Called the Neptuno project, the plant would reportedly provide Montevideo and its surrounds with up to 229,000 cubic metres<\/a> of drinkable water per day, around a third of its demand. This area is currently supplied only by the basin of the Santa Luc\u00eda River, which feeds the Paso Severino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"People<\/div>
Locals enjoy the beach at Arazat\u00ed, where a pumping station is planned to be built to take water from the R\u00edo de la Plata to a nearby treatment plant (Image: Eitan Abramovich \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, in Arazat\u00ed, the quiet riverside town where the Neptuno facility is due to be built, residents have misgivings about the project. Located within the metropolitan area some 70 kilometres west of the capital, much of the land in Arazat\u00ed is dedicated to livestock, forestry, and potato cultivation. There are fears the town may therefore suffer due to Neptuno\u2019s potential impacts on the local environment and water output.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First proposed in 2021, Neptuno moved ahead<\/a> in August this year when the government awarded the contract to a consortium called Aguas de Montevideo, comprised of the Brazilian company Fast Industry and Commerce, alongside Uruguayan firms Ciemsa, Berkes and Saceem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neptuno intends to use a pipeline that will take water from deeper parts of the R\u00edo de la Plata, around 1,500 metres from the Arazat\u00ed shoreline. This is similar to facilities in Buenos Aires and the city of Colonia, to the west of the town \u2013 although those plants do so in sections of the river where fresh water is more abundant. From Arazat\u00ed, the water will pass through three pumping stations and a treatment plant to lower its salinity, and on to be stored in a 15 million cubic-metre polder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Map<\/div>
Data source: Aguas de Montevideo \/ Map: Di\u00e1logo Chino<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In early October, more than 100 people greeted the arrival of spring in Arazat\u00ed by setting up a protest camp on the beach \u2013 right where the first of the Neptuno project\u2019s three pumping stations will be built. A white blanket of fine sand, the beach offers turbid but calm waters, beautiful sunsets and almost no telephone signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Di\u00e1logo Chino visited Arazat\u00ed as Uruguay celebrated its annual Heritage Day, during which historic and important buildings are opened to the public. While 70 km to the west in Montevideo, thousands went out to explore and celebrate, in Arazat\u00ed, activists spoke of defending the country\u2019s other \u201cheritage\u201d: its lands and waters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One such activist is 29-year-old Sof\u00eda Gonz\u00e1lez Mansilla, who has been visiting Arazat\u00ed since she was a child. Mansilla is a member of Tucu Tucu, an NGO that began defending Arazat\u00ed\u2019s beaches in 2020, when it challenged<\/a> the forestry industry’s privatisation of a local forest. The disputed areas had historically provided access to a beach at the river\u2019s edge. \u201cIt was much nicer before,\u201d says Mansilla. \u201cWe could get to the dune and go down to the beach by the little descent that S\u00e1nchez, one of the fishers, had made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Woman<\/div>
Sof\u00eda Gonz\u00e1lez Mansilla, a 29-year-old activist and member of Tucu Tucu, an NGO formed in 2020 to defend Arazat\u00ed\u2019s beaches (Image: Eitan Abramovich \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Algal blooms raise questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Eduardo S\u00e1nchez is one of 20 fishers who live in Arazat\u00ed. These days, his work is dictated by \u201cla baba<\/em>\u201d (the slime), his name for the greenish algae in the water here: \u201cWhen I was a kid, the slime wasn\u2019t as strong as it is now \u2026 let it dry and it smells of chemicals. During the summer it appears at the surface, but during winter it sinks and sticks to fishing nets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, have become a focus of pollution cases in Uruguay. They have made appearances along the country\u2019s coast in problematic blooms, generated by excess nitrogen from farmland leeching into waterways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2016 and 2021, a satellite imagery study by Montevideo\u2019s University of the Republic concluded<\/a> that a significant portion of Uruguay\u2019s western coastline \u2013 where Arazat\u00ed lies \u2013 had developed a permanent concentration of cyanobacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Fishing<\/div>
Stains from blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, on the nets of local fishers in Arazat\u00ed (Image: Eitan Abramovich \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It is too soon to gauge the damage this has caused, but cyanobacteria can produce a wide range of toxins harmful to animals and humans. Contact with these can lead to liver and gastrointestinal disorders, as well as damage to the skin and mucous membranes; in severe cases, these toxins can be lethal<\/a> for animals, though there are limited cases of human deaths linked to these algae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Di\u00e1logo Chino spoke to the geographer Marcel Achkar, who says Neptuno\u2019s proposed location is a mistake: \u201cWhen there is little flow in the Uruguay River, the cyanobacteria concentrate across the entire R\u00edo de la Plata estuary, and when there is a lot of flow, it pushes it against the coast, right where the intake is.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achkar also criticises the planned polder because it will receive water containing cyanobacteria, yet \u201cit is not proposed to waterproof the floor\u201d of the polder. He says this means it could potentially pollute the Raig\u00f3n aquifer, which lies beneath Arazat\u00ed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man<\/div>
Eduardo Sa\u0301nchez, a local fisher, holds up a bottle of algae-filled water in Arazat\u00ed. Experts say that cyanobacteria will also end up in a planned polder that will store waters from the R\u00edo de la Plata as part of the Neptuno project. (Image: Eitan Abramovich \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gerardo Amarilla, Uruguay\u2019s undersecretary for the environment, acknowledges that the government is yet to conduct any studies regarding the installation of the pumping station, the polder and a landfill that will be dedicated to housing wastes from the water treatment plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, the national water utility, OSE, is the only government body to undertake an environmental assessment of Neptuno. This assessment, however, was limited to the location of the landfill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The R\u00edo de la Plata: a salty issue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Roman myth, only Neptune has the power to control the water. This project\u2019s auspicious name could prove ironic for Aguas de Montevideo though, with the R\u00edo de la Plata estuary\u2019s constantly shifting salinity levels beyond the consortium\u2019s control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if the project is completed, says Achkar, \u201cwe would be in the same conditions we experienced a few months ago,\u201d referring to the two months in 2023 when homes in southern Uruguay saw salty water flow from taps, and thousands of water heaters broke due to high levels of sodium. The researcher has warned<\/a> of technical problems for the Neptuno project, among them the unpredictable nature of salinity levels and their implications for the polder system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, a study<\/a> from the University of the Republic highlighted a recent episode of extreme salinity on the R\u00edo de la Plata during summer, the season when water consumption peaks. In the first three months of 2022, researchers recorded 66 days in which salinity levels in waters near Arazat\u00ed were exceptionally high. Furthermore, meteorologists have projected<\/a> that this will become increasingly typical due to climate change and the advance of the ocean over the watersheds of southwestern Uruguay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Man<\/div>
Gerardo Amarilla, Uruguay\u2019s undersecretary for the environment, has downplayed concerns about the impact on the Neptuno project of the R\u00edo de la Plata\u2019s changing salinity. Meteorologists have projected that higher salinity levels will become increasingly frequent due to climate change. (Image: Eitan Abramovich \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

However, Amarilla downplays concerns about the area\u2019s water salinity: \u201cThe average number of episodes [of high salinity] per year is 15, 20 days, historically. There was one year when there were 80 days, which was a historic year, an episode that was a first in 100 years. So, the average salinity there is very low.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achkar counters that even low levels of salt in the water is a problem: \u201cWater with salinity \u2013 even at low levels \u2013 has bromides in it. Bromides with chlorine generate bromoform, which is one of the trihalomethanes.\u201d These chemical compounds, a by-product of disinfection processes in tap water treatment, became a well-known entity in Uruguay during the water crisis, with long-term exposure linked<\/a> to increased bladder cancer risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pipeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Neptuno project\u2019s pipeline route is another unresolved question. The water must travel to the Melilla dam, to the north-west of Montevideo, from which it would be distributed to the capital. The environment ministry wishes to extend the existing network of pipes, however, which entails crossing a protected habitat at the mouth of the Santa Luc\u00eda River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pipeline means that Neptuno\u2019s impact would spread beyond Arazat\u00ed to the communities of Rafael Perazza, Kiy\u00fa, Rinc\u00f3n del Pino and Ciudad del Plata, potentially affecting the more than 30,000<\/a> people who live within them. The pipeline could cross seaside resorts, dairy farms, fishing villages, farmland and protected areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/div>
A fork-tailed flycatcher on a fence in Arazat\u00ed. The Neptuno project\u2019s pipeline would cross a protected habitat at the mouth of the Santa Luc\u00eda River. (Image: Eitan Abramovich \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Digging up Arazat\u00ed to lay a water pipeline presents archaeological problems, too. \u201cArazat\u00ed is one of the richest areas in Uruguay in terms of palaeontology, because it has a very particular fauna, unique in the region,\u201d explains Daniel Perea, a University of the Republic palaeontologist. \u201cIt has sedimentary rocks that contain a succession of fossils ranging from 10 million years old to about 8,000 years old.\u201d Fossils of mammals and crabs unique to Uruguay have been found there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legitimate solution or political football?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the Neptuno project\u2019s 17-year contract, the work will cost nearly US$290 million<\/a>. But to this is added a reported annual cost of US$50.6 million dollars for its operation and water output, adding up to US$890 million<\/a> over the contract period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These figures are much higher than those for the proposed Casup\u00e1 dam, for which construction costs are reported to be US$80 million<\/a>. Located north-east of Montevideo in the department of Lavalleja, this project in the Santa Luc\u00eda Basin was signed off by Uruguay\u2019s previous government, run by the Frente Amplio (Broad Front), now the country\u2019s main opposition party. This project won backing from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) but work never started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former president of the OSE is Edgardo Ortu\u00f1o. He believes Uruguay\u2019s current government is rushing the Neptuno project in the run-up to elections in 2024 and overlooking the need to build consensus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are in 2023 and Uruguay does not have Casup\u00e1, but neither does it have Arazat\u00ed, which has just been awarded, so is only just beginning the process of analysis, environmental study and construction,\u201d says Ortu\u00f1o. \u201cWe are back to square one: this government is not going to finish Casup\u00e1, which it could have done and finished; it embarked on Arazat\u00ed and it is not going to finish that either and, of course, it is not going to pay for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Protesters<\/div>
Civil servants from national water utility OSE were among those to a rally against the Neptuno project in Montevideo, in September. (Image: Eitan Abramovich \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Marcos M\u00edguez, water secretary for the OSE civil servants\u2019 federation, is more categorical: \u201cThe Neptuno project is, first of all, a political issue, and then a matter of economic benefits and the desire to continue privatising and doing business with water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A November 2022 survey<\/a> suggested that some 47% of Uruguayans are opposed to the Neptuno project, while 43% would support it. Among the respondents, those who reject the project mostly live in Montevideo and support the Frente Amplio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked whether it is possible to stop Neptuno\u2019s progress if its forthcoming feasibility study calls for it, Amarilla answers in the affirmative, but then clarifies his position: \u201cThat is to say stop it, change it, modify it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Di\u00e1logo Chino spoke to sources who believe that, if elected back into power in 2024, Frente Amplio would delay the construction of Neptuno, at least until the dust settles on the election. Meanwhile, Amarilla thinks \u201cthere are many opposition officials and technicians who agree with the work\u201d \u2013 a belief shared by many in Arazat\u00ed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A proposed water treatment plant on the brackish R\u00edo de la Plata faces questions over its environmental impacts and feasibility, amid political disputes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":50384496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[50039903],"tags":[502,587],"country":[50002602],"class_list":["post-50384234","photo_story","type-photo_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-water","tag-activism","tag-rivers","country-uruguay"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNeptuno: Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A proposed water treatment plant on the brackish R\u00edo de la Plata faces questions over its environmental impacts and feasibility\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A proposed water treatment plant on the brackish R\u00edo de la Plata faces questions over its environmental impacts and feasibility\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Dialogue Earth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-04T13:27:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"798\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/\",\"name\":\"Neptuno: Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-23T12:02:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-04T13:27:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"A proposed water treatment plant on the brackish R\u00edo de la Plata faces questions over its environmental impacts and feasibility\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":798,\"caption\":\"Protesters hold a large white banner with blue and red text\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Dialogue Earth\",\"description\":\"Global climate and environment news\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"\u5bf9\u8bdd\u5730\u7403\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dialogue-Earth-Symbol-Logo_Black-Text.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dialogue-Earth-Symbol-Logo_Black-Text.png\",\"width\":256,\"height\":256,\"caption\":\"\u5bf9\u8bdd\u5730\u7403\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DialogueEarth_\",\"\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DialogueEarth.English\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dialogue.earth\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/dialogueearth\/\"],\"publishingPrinciples\":\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/about\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Neptuno: Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis","description":"A proposed water treatment plant on the brackish R\u00edo de la Plata faces questions over its environmental impacts and feasibility","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis","og_description":"A proposed water treatment plant on the brackish R\u00edo de la Plata faces questions over its environmental impacts and feasibility","og_url":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/","og_site_name":"Dialogue Earth","article_modified_time":"2025-04-04T13:27:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":798,"url":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/","url":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/","name":"Neptuno: Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg","datePublished":"2023-11-23T12:02:46+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-04T13:27:49+00:00","description":"A proposed water treatment plant on the brackish R\u00edo de la Plata faces questions over its environmental impacts and feasibility","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231007_protest_camp_against_the_Neptuno_Project_Arazati_Uruguay_EitanAbromovich_DC-thumbnail.jpg","width":1200,"height":798,"caption":"Protesters hold a large white banner with blue and red text"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/water\/384234-uruguay-in-muddy-waters-neptuno\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Uruguay in muddy waters as it looks to avoid another crisis"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/","name":"Dialogue Earth","description":"Global climate and environment news","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#organization","name":"\u5bf9\u8bdd\u5730\u7403","url":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dialogue-Earth-Symbol-Logo_Black-Text.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Dialogue-Earth-Symbol-Logo_Black-Text.png","width":256,"height":256,"caption":"\u5bf9\u8bdd\u5730\u7403"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/twitter.com\/DialogueEarth_","","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DialogueEarth.English","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dialogue.earth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/dialogueearth\/"],"publishingPrinciples":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/about\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/photo_story\/50384234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/photo_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/photo_story"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50384234"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/photo_story\/50384234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60004455,"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/photo_story\/50384234\/revisions\/60004455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50384496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50384234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50384234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50384234"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=50384234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}