ALICIA STELLA RAFFAELE VAZQUEZ

Chemical Engineer graduated from the University of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (UdelaR), with a Master's Degree in Environmental Sciences from the same University. Specialized in the environmental area, ISO 14000 and EMAS management systems, renewable energy, business management, public management, and TIC´s.

She is now the Advising Director of the Division of Municipal Development and Participation of the Government of Montevideo. She was the Director of the Sanitation Management Service and the Director of the Industrial Effluent Unit of the Government of Montevideo. A former Assistant Professor of the UdelaR. She held the presidency of the Association of Chemical Engineers of Uruguay

Title

"Integrated management of industrial effluents in Montevideo - Uruguay"

Seminar

Opportunities and limits to water pollution regulations

Highlights

Montevideo, the smallest of the 19 political/administrative divisions of the Republic of Uruguay, concentrates most of the country's industries and service activities, and almost half of the country's population.

Main contamination sources are: domestic sewage, industrial effluents and solid waste disposal.

Keywords

Governance, Health, Latin America and Caribbean, Policy, Water Management

Introduction and objectives

Montevideo’s water courses network is composed by a large amount of surface water courses. The streams, Pantanoso and Miguelete and the Bay of Montevideo, are very important because they are closely linked to human activities.

The high degree of contamination found in the city's water courses, originates mainly from the dumping of sewage and industrial effluent, and the indiscriminate disposal of solid wastes.

The main objectives of the City government programs and policies are directed towards:

- Optimizing technical resources (public and private) and identifying weaknesses and strengths.

- Reducing pollution loads contributed by Montevideo's industries.

- Working in a holistic manner, with the continuous participation of the community.

We largely met the objectives, particularly in reducing pollution loads.

Methodology approach

The Industrial Effluent Monitoring Program is complementary to the Program of Water Bodies and Environment and Education, initiated in the year 1997. Previously, a municipal regulation, the “Industrial Pollution Reduction Plan” (Resolution number 761/96), was carried out gradually, thus allowing its adoption by small businesses that could not afford large investments in a short period of time.

The companies responsible for 90% of the pollution of Industrial origin in Montevideo, according to their actual or potential contribution to such pollution, are included in the Industrial Effluent Monitoring Program, and are grouped into prioritization categories.

Analysis and results

Results Obtained: 

By the end of 2015, the greatest contribution to industrial pollution (88%) was attributable to 23 companies, and their relationship in the total pollution loads were: 88% flow, 77% oils and fats, 88% BOD5, 97% Sulphides, 95% Chromium, 83% Lead.

Since the start of the program, there has been a significant expansion of industries’ activities and to a lesser extent, of the industrial discharge flow.

However, industrial restructuring, the implementation of quality systems and environmental management, the monitoring and control together with civic monitoring, have achieved important reductions of contamination loads.

There is a growing public interest and citizen’s participation has increased thanks to a well targeted campaign through social networks, a more visible complaint handling system online and the establishment and training of environmental commissions comprised of experts, members of the public, and non-profit organizations. This prompted improvements in the relationship between industries and the community. The industries became more open in their relationship with the population, thus driving more and better information.

The implementation of the program has also involved job creation  (oriented towards supporting technical areas of environmental affairs): preparation of technical reports, works or reforms required, and others.

Furthering these industrial effluent control efforts to recover  watercourses and to improve the environmental quality of Montevideo and its habitants, management system and public works’ plans were implemented for: construction of health infrastructure, rehabilitation of networks and interceptors, and elimination of uncontrolled discharges of waste and other pollutants into water streams.

Conclusions and recommendations

The Industrial Effluent Monitoring Program is an innovative action for the city and its inhabitants, and it has been very helpful as a tool for solving contamination problems in Montevideo.

It is an element that marks an improvement in terms of industrial waste treatments and water quality, and could be used as a benchmark and a framework to resolve city problems in other areas and in other citys.

It has had a positive overall impact that has challenged the traditional status quo in the city, and given that the modality of work is based on the coordination and efficient use of resources (a priority for countries with economic shortfalls such as ours), it permits the creation of a foundation for new policies and management strategies, and contributes to sustainability in departmental government management.

Quality Assessment and Environmental Control Service.

Annual Report 2015. Industrial Effluents Unit

Credits:

• Members of the Industrial Effluents Unit (Hernán Méndez, Mary Yafalián, Antuanet Calero), who have carried out the fieldwork and evaluation of the results.
• Chem.Eng. Martha Carámbula for her support. 
• Agron.Eng. Ana Quintillán for her support.