The biggest challenge that is Panama Canal in the midst of the water shortages it drives El Niño phenomenon It is not his business but to guarantee the quality and quantity of water for human consumption, said the manager of the interoceanic waterway, Ricurte Vasquezin its recent report on the state of water.
Optimal, reliable, safe and efficient management of the water resources of the Panama Canal hydrographic basin to guarantee their availability for human consumption, ship transit and hydroelectric power generation tested the creativity, technologies and human resources of the Interoceanic Highway. .
The Panama Canal operates three water treatment plants, the Miraflores Water Treatment Plant in the Pacific sector, the Mendoza Water Treatment Plant in La Chorrera and Monte Esperanza in the Atlantic sector. Two of them, in areas of high frequency of salinity, pointed to Vásquez.
The water it controls Panama Canal tosupplies more than 50% of the country’s population, which represents one of its major challenges, apart from its work, he insisted administrator of Panama Canal.
Vásquez highlighted the high level of salinity that threatens the water quality of users of Monte Esperanza and Miraflores.
After striking a balance between minimizing transit water use, measuring salt water intrusion affecting potable water intakes, and attempting to measure salt water displacement maps that may affect potable water treatment being carried out in Gatun Lake, the administration took some action.
In addition to the unprecedented reduction in shipping traffic, the Panama Canal has awarded a contract to rent a desalination plant, to conduct a test at Escobal, to assess costs and impacts, and then to transfer that experience to Monte Esperanza.
Salt water intrusion is essentially a problem related to water for human consumption, not a problem related to the operation of the Panama Canal, the Panama Canal manager explained.
“We use barrels for water reuse. We know that as the use of barrels for water reuse increases, a lot more salt water enters the lake,” he noted.
Moreover, Vasquez He argued that the need for water in recent years has led to a better understanding of the body of water, which has allowed for an increase in the operational capacity of the Panama Canal.
Using a Quibian cutter and a suction dredger, a pumping system was built to bring water through a pipeline from the mouth of the Chagre River in Gamboa to the Miraflores Water Treatment Plant. We take pristine water from Chagra and transfer it to the Miraflores Water Treatment Plant using Panama Canal equipment.
Lack of water
After three years of girls events that followed at the end of 2020, 2021 and 2022, in the last quarter of 2022, a huge water deficit was already revealed, causing the Panama Canal to fill up, at the end of the rainy season of 2022, the beginning of the dry season of 2023, accumulation at the maximum, explained Ayax Murillo Burgos, hydrologist with the Panama Canal Water Resources Management Team.
The Panama Canal has been prepared since June, however, the supplies for the colossus Gatún, which has 10 times more water than Alhajuela, were not enough. The feat is to keep the level of the Gatún reservoir above 79 feet, he explained. Murillo Burgos.
The expert clarified that 79 feet is the critical level for operations Panama Canalas well as for water intakes of water treatment plants.
2024 is the year with the lowest available water levels according to the Panama Canal, he indicated. October was the driest month on record since 1950, leading to a decrease in interoceanic waterway transit.
The issue of water is a national issue, although without a doubt the Panama Canal is the largest consumer of fresh water, but it is also the one that generates the largest amount of revenue per cubic meter of water, said manager Vásquez.
With one cubic hectometre of water, 5 ships pass through the Panama Canal under normal conditions. PanamaxUnder these conditions of water saving measures and water strategy, 8 ships pass through the Panama Canal Panamax.
The water savings in the Panamax locks are equal to 80% of the consumption of the population of the metropolis (Colón, Panama, La Chorrera, December 24).
Taking advantage of the recent rains, the Panama Canal has completely filled Lake Alhajuela, which it manages as a regulatory lake. To maintain water quality, some water was also diverted to Madden’s hydroelectric plant; however, her levels were maintained, the administrator explained.
Experts warn about the availability of water until the month of May, but century-old statistics show that after severe Niño events in 1997, 1998, 2015, 2016, when the next year begins, rainfall exceeds the average.
According to this forecast, it is possible that by May, June and July 2024 Panama Canal can adjust operations, Murillo Burgos said.
Source: Panama America
I am Jason Root, author with 24 Instant News. I specialize in the Economy section, and have been writing for this sector for the past three years. My work focuses on the latest economic developments around the world and how these developments impact businesses and people’s lives. I also write about current trends in economics, business strategies and investments.
