Currently, thousands of people in Entre Ríos consume contaminated water with arsenic, agrochemicals, and untreated sewage effluents.
This is indicated by a recent analysis from the ITBA, which detected dozens of localities in Entre Ríos with contaminated drinking water.
In response, the administration of Rogelio Frigerio avoids acknowledging the water emergency evidenced by scientific studies, court rulings, and community complaints.
It should be noted that scientists have been warning about the degree of contamination in the watercourses of Entre Ríos since 2008.
The concerning data on contaminated water in Entre Ríos
The latest survey by the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA) detected water with high concentrations of arsenic in Gualeguaychú, Gualeguay, Urdinarrain, and Cuatro Bocas.
In the Paraná Department, localities such as María Grande, Colonia Avigdor, and Hasenkamp recorded levels between 0.05 and 0.08 milligrams per liter.
These values touch or exceed the provincial limit of 0.05 mg/L. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 0.01 mg/L, five times less.
“The quality of the water is concerning, especially due to arsenic and pesticides,” warned Lucía Ibarra Bouzada, president of the Ecologist Forum of Paraná.
She added that in Entre Ríos, “the levels are at the limit and, in some cases, exceed what is allowed by the province, which has an outdated scale.”
There is also an alert for glyphosate, with the highest levels in the region
Another concerning analysis is the research by CONICET presented by Rafael Lajmanovich, which detected a concentration of 5,002 µg/kg of glyphosate in the Las Conchas stream.
It is the highest level recorded so far in South America.
The study evaluated four streams in the province: Las Conchas, Espinillo, Crespo, and Las Tunas, all are direct tributaries of the Paraná River.
In tests with tadpoles, 100% of the amphibians exposed died within 24 hours.
Historic court ruling in Crespo
In light of this situation, the Entre Ríos Justice ordered the Municipality of Crespo to immediately suspend the irrigation of streets with contaminated water.
Judge Julián Carlos Vergara granted an environmental protection order filed by eleven residents.
Day by day, the city was watering dirt streets with contaminated stream water with untreated sewage effluents.
The ruling ordered a complete survey of the sewage system within 30 days, publication of the results, and implementation of systematic monitoring.
During the judicial hearing, municipal and provincial representatives acknowledged the existence of the problem. However, they conditioned progress on “local budgetary limitations” and “the need for external financial assistance.”
Ten years of unresolved contaminated water
Another case is that of the town of General Belgrano, where the Cooperative for Drinking Water Provision has been accused of contamination since 2015.
For a decade, the entity dumped untreated sewage effluents into the Gualeguaychú River and the Uruguay River.
Currently, the Financial Information Unit has been accepted as a plaintiff in the case, and the investigation is probing the intentional provocation of the dumping of untreated effluents.
However, the case is slow, as it has been in the Federal Court of Concepción del Uruguay since 2017.
Serious health risks
The consumption of contaminated water leads to severe health consequences:
- Gastrointestinal diseases, acute intestinal infections, hepatitis, and cholera from bacteria and parasites
- Chronic Regional Endemic Hydroarsenicism (HACRE), skin lesions, and cancer from prolonged arsenic exposure
- Neurological, endocrine, and reproductive disorders from agrochemicals
The National Budget 2026 allocates only 2 billion pesos for the construction of drinking water in Concordia. Meanwhile, dozens of small localities are left out of any investment plan.
The Provincial Budget 2026 foresees an investment exceeding 429.5 billion pesos for infrastructure.
However, the coordinator of the Ministry of Planning, Hernán Jacob, reported that “60% of the resources will be allocated to road works.”
Thus, drinking water and sewage sanitation are not listed as a priority in provincial public policies.
