25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River
Colorado River is the main watercourse of its homonymous basin, located mostly in Northern Patagonia, being at the same time the natural limit between the provinces of Río Negro and La Pampa. Because it has a snow regime, which drains to the Atlantic, it allows the supply of fresh water in sufficien...
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Departamento de Geografía. Facultad de Humanidades. Universidad Nacional del Comahue
2024
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://revele.uncoma.edu.ar/index.php/geografia/article/view/5234 |
| Aporte de: |
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I22-R128-article-5234 |
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Universidad Nacional del Comahue |
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I-22 |
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R-128 |
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Repositorio de Revistas Electrónicas REVELE (UNComahue) |
| language |
Español |
| format |
Artículo revista |
| topic |
25 de Mayo saneamiento efluentes cloacales desarrollo participación |
| spellingShingle |
25 de Mayo saneamiento efluentes cloacales desarrollo participación Altolaguirre, Leandro Martín Lapena, Jorge Betelú, Maite Kin, Hugo David 25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River |
| topic_facet |
25 de Mayo saneamiento efluentes cloacales desarrollo participación |
| author |
Altolaguirre, Leandro Martín Lapena, Jorge Betelú, Maite Kin, Hugo David |
| author_facet |
Altolaguirre, Leandro Martín Lapena, Jorge Betelú, Maite Kin, Hugo David |
| author_sort |
Altolaguirre, Leandro Martín |
| title |
25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River |
| title_short |
25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River |
| title_full |
25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River |
| title_fullStr |
25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River |
| title_full_unstemmed |
25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River |
| title_sort |
25 de mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the colorado river |
| description |
Colorado River is the main watercourse of its homonymous basin, located mostly in Northern Patagonia, being at the same time the natural limit between the provinces of Río Negro and La Pampa. Because it has a snow regime, which drains to the Atlantic, it allows the supply of fresh water in sufficient quantities for its various uses and exploitations. This has a particular geographical imprint, given that the resource is capable of providing the supply of drinking water beyond the riverside localities, within an eco-regional and climatic context marked by aridity. However, over the years, economic activities have increased and, with them, urbanizations where a sustainable management of water resources was not implemented.
In this context, upstream of La Pampa towns there is the discharge of wastewater and the drainage of oil spills or other economic activities, such as mining. For this reason, the city of 25 de Mayo denotes sources of pollution after its almost exponential growth, associated with the hydrocarbon boom that occurred at the end of the last century. Not only were incidents linked to extreme flow oscillations (river floods and droughts) not resolved. Different problems caused by the actions of oil companies and others were also not reversed and, despite its projection, a sewage treatment plant was never built in accordance with the population increase. In fact, this sewage is discharged into the river, believing that the solids settle over after twenty kilometers, until it drains. However, there are previous studies in Casa de Piedra tourist village, beyond the dam, where it has been found that pollution, both from oil spills and sewage discharges, does not disappear downstream. And this affects, among other water uses, the main aqueduct of La Pampa.
Given this problem, the research aimed to verify whether the environmental indicators were persistent towards the year 2023 and, likewise, which alternatives or proposals are more sustainable. To do this, sampling was carried out downstream of 25 de Mayo, in order to compare the environmental situation. This included physical-chemical and bacteriological analyzes of water and arthropods (bioindicators), added to participant observations and interviews with key informants (Delphi System), in order to understand the multicausalities or intervening factors.
After the results in two laboratories, contamination was confirmed in those drains in contact with the river and in the course mentioned. This aggravates the previous situation upstream, mainly derived from the oil hub located in Rincón de los Sauces (Neuquén). At the same time, the dumping of other waste was detected from rural properties and homes located on the riverside strip, installed temporarily or informally. Finally, through consultations with experts in the field and a meeting among the participating team, it was agreed that in addition to requiring a new treatment plant, it is necessary to divert the treated water to forestry or other related uses, which would contribute positively to the productive area, and even to public plantation of trees. |
| publisher |
Departamento de Geografía. Facultad de Humanidades. Universidad Nacional del Comahue |
| publishDate |
2024 |
| url |
https://revele.uncoma.edu.ar/index.php/geografia/article/view/5234 |
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I22-R128-article-52342024-12-31T02:52:16Z 25 de Mayo, a city on edge due to pollution in the Colorado River 25 de Mayo, ciudad en vilo por la contaminación del Río Colorado. Altolaguirre, Leandro Martín Lapena, Jorge Betelú, Maite Kin, Hugo David 25 de Mayo saneamiento efluentes cloacales desarrollo participación Colorado River is the main watercourse of its homonymous basin, located mostly in Northern Patagonia, being at the same time the natural limit between the provinces of Río Negro and La Pampa. Because it has a snow regime, which drains to the Atlantic, it allows the supply of fresh water in sufficient quantities for its various uses and exploitations. This has a particular geographical imprint, given that the resource is capable of providing the supply of drinking water beyond the riverside localities, within an eco-regional and climatic context marked by aridity. However, over the years, economic activities have increased and, with them, urbanizations where a sustainable management of water resources was not implemented. In this context, upstream of La Pampa towns there is the discharge of wastewater and the drainage of oil spills or other economic activities, such as mining. For this reason, the city of 25 de Mayo denotes sources of pollution after its almost exponential growth, associated with the hydrocarbon boom that occurred at the end of the last century. Not only were incidents linked to extreme flow oscillations (river floods and droughts) not resolved. Different problems caused by the actions of oil companies and others were also not reversed and, despite its projection, a sewage treatment plant was never built in accordance with the population increase. In fact, this sewage is discharged into the river, believing that the solids settle over after twenty kilometers, until it drains. However, there are previous studies in Casa de Piedra tourist village, beyond the dam, where it has been found that pollution, both from oil spills and sewage discharges, does not disappear downstream. And this affects, among other water uses, the main aqueduct of La Pampa. Given this problem, the research aimed to verify whether the environmental indicators were persistent towards the year 2023 and, likewise, which alternatives or proposals are more sustainable. To do this, sampling was carried out downstream of 25 de Mayo, in order to compare the environmental situation. This included physical-chemical and bacteriological analyzes of water and arthropods (bioindicators), added to participant observations and interviews with key informants (Delphi System), in order to understand the multicausalities or intervening factors. After the results in two laboratories, contamination was confirmed in those drains in contact with the river and in the course mentioned. This aggravates the previous situation upstream, mainly derived from the oil hub located in Rincón de los Sauces (Neuquén). At the same time, the dumping of other waste was detected from rural properties and homes located on the riverside strip, installed temporarily or informally. Finally, through consultations with experts in the field and a meeting among the participating team, it was agreed that in addition to requiring a new treatment plant, it is necessary to divert the treated water to forestry or other related uses, which would contribute positively to the productive area, and even to public plantation of trees. El río Colorado es el principal curso de agua de su cuenca homónima, situada mayormente en Patagonia Norte, siendo a la vez, el límite natural entre las provincias de Río Negro y La Pampa. Por tratarse de un régimen nival, cuya vertiente es Atlántica, permite abastecer de agua dulce en cantidades suficientes para sus diversos usos y aprovechamientos. Esto tiene una impronta geográfica particular, dado a que el recurso es capaz de proporcionar el suministro de agua potable más allá de las localidades ribereñas, dentro de un contexto eco-regional y climático signado por la aridez. No obstante, con el correr de los años, se han desarrollado actividades económicas y, con ellas, urbanizaciones donde no se instrumentó una gestión integral sustentable. En este contexto, aguas arriba de las localidades pampeanas se advierte el vertido de aguas residuales y el desagüe de derrames de petróleo o de otras actividades económicas, como la minería. Sin embargo, también la ciudad de 25 de Mayo denota focos de contaminación tras su crecimiento en forma casi exponencial, asociado al auge petrolero gestado a fines del siglo pasado. No solo no se logró resolver incidencias ligadas a las oscilaciones extremas del caudal, (inundaciones fluviales y sequías), ni revertir distintos problemas acarreados por la acción de las empresas petroleras y otras. Tampoco se construyó una planta de tratamiento acorde al aumento poblacional ni se definió un destino a estos residuos líquidos. De hecho, estas aguas negras se vierten al río, sobreentendiendo que los sólidos van decantando a lo largo de una veintena de kilómetros, hasta su desagüe. Ante esta problemática, la investigación realizada en agosto de 2023 se focalizó en corroborar la hipótesis de trabajo vinculante a la calidad del agua y su destino final y, asimismo, estudiar alternativas sustentables, a modo de no aportar más contaminación a un río del cual depende el consumo humano de la mayoría de los pampeanos, a través de un acueducto con un alcance mayor a los 400 km. Para cumplimentar estos objetivos se realizaron muestreos, aguas abajo de 25 de Mayo, a modo de cotejar la situación ambiental. Ello incluyó análisis físico-químicos y bacteriológicos del agua y de artrópodos (bioindicadores), sumado a observaciones participantes y entrevistas a informantes claves (Sistema Delphi), de manera tal de comprender las multicausalidades o factores intervinientes. Tras los resultados en dos laboratorios, se confirmó contaminación en aquellos desagües en contacto con el río y en dicho curso. Ello agrava a la situación precedente aguas arriba, principalmente derivadas del polo petrolero sito en Rincón de los Sauces (Neuquén). A su vez, se detectó el vertido de otros residuos desde predios rurales y viviendas localizadas en la franja ribereña, instaladas en forma provisoria o informal. Por último, mediante consultas a expertos en la materia y un ateneo entre el equipo participante se coincidió que además de requerirse una nueva planta de tratamiento, es necesario desviar el agua tratada a usos forestales u otros afines, que contribuirían positivamente al área productivo, e incluso al arbolado público. Departamento de Geografía. Facultad de Humanidades. Universidad Nacional del Comahue 2024-12-28 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf text/html application/epub+zip https://revele.uncoma.edu.ar/index.php/geografia/article/view/5234 ark:/s2313903x/gg75217h9 Boletín Geográfico; Vol. 46 No. PC (2024): Boletín Geográfico Boletin Geografico; Vol. 46 Núm. PC (2024): Boletín Geográfico 2313-903X 0326-1735 spa https://revele.uncoma.edu.ar/index.php/geografia/article/view/5234/62656 https://revele.uncoma.edu.ar/index.php/geografia/article/view/5234/62657 https://revele.uncoma.edu.ar/index.php/geografia/article/view/5234/62658 Derechos de autor 2024 Boletin Geografico https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ar/ |