Cedae informed this Monday morning (28) that it interrupted the water supply to the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, after identifying a white foam in the source of the Guandu River. The blockade was made from the Treatment Station (ETA).
ETA Guandu will be closed until 11:30 am this Monday, when the results of the first laboratory tests carried out with the foam will be released. The interruption of the water supply could affect up to 13 million people whose homes are supplied by the treatment plant.
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To the program ‘Bom dia, Rio’, on TV Globo, Cedae informed that the return of the supply is not guaranteed before the beginning of the morning.
“The contingency protocol was triggered due to changes in the quality of raw (untreated) water (…) Technicians continuously monitor the conditions of the source until the concentration of this material does not represent a risk and, as soon as the situation is controlled, ETA’s operation will be resumed”, says the note from Cedae.
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Cedae also informed that it notified the State Institute of the Environment (Inea) to take the necessary measures. The concessionaires Águas do Rio, Iguá and Rio+Saneamento, responsible for water distribution in the regions served by the Guandu System, were also notified.
There is a suspicion that the foam is the result of the release of detergent by different types of industries and even homes, but, according to Cedae’s management, it is difficult to discover the origin of the places that contaminate the company’s water supply.
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Source: BdF Rio de Janeiro
Editing: Eduardo Miranda