Rio Grande do Sul: state capital recovers pumping stations

Porto Alegre authorities reported that as of Friday (May 31), 15 of the municipality's 23 rainwater pumping stations were back in operation, representing 65 percent of the effort to drain the waters from the largest flood in Lake Guaíba's history.

At the height of the flood on May 6, when the water level reached 5.33 meters, only 17 percent of the pump units were operational, while 19 had to be shut down due to power outages or flooding.

Additionally, six high-capacity pumps, loaned by the São Paulo State Basic Sanitation Company (Sabesp), are now in operation. Sabesp also provided professionals to install the equipment. These pumps can drain 7.2 million liters per hour. Three of them are located in the Sarandi neighborhood, one of the hardest-hit areas in Porto Alegre.

In a statement released by the city council, Mauricio Loss, the director-general of the Municipal Water and Sewage Department (Dmae), estimates that with the current operation of the equipment and the receding water level of the Guaíba, Porto Alegre's water will be completely drained in a few more days.

On Saturday (Jun. 1), the water level of the Guaíba in Porto Alegre dropped below the flood level for the first time in a month, measured at 3.6 meters on the ruler installed at the Gasometer Power Station.

Water treatment

Porto Alegre has five of its six water treatment plants in operation, but they are currently operating at an average capacity of 85 percent.

The city council cited high turbidity in the water collected from the Guaíba, meaning it contains numerous undissolved microparticles, as the reason for this.

The Municipal Water and Sewage Department explains that excess clay requires a more complex treatment process. As a result, the filtering, disinfection, fluoridation, and other stages are slower until the water is ensured to be safe for human consumption.

Post-flood clean-up

Approximately 800 street cleaners are currently engaged in cleaning up the neighborhoods most impacted by the flooding of the Guaíba. They are supported by over 250 pieces of equipment, including trucks and backhoes.

Since the municipal government began its clean-up service following the public calamity until Friday night (31), over 23,000 tons of waste have been removed from the streets. This includes damaged furniture and appliances, scraping of accumulated sludge, and street sweeping.