The NGO Friends of Patagonia alerted and expressed concern about the contamination in Lake Lácar. They reported the spill of treated sewage into the waters.
The cooperative in charge, on the other hand, stated that it was a temporary “malfunction” in the treatment plant, but the organization insists that the problem has been going on for a long time.
## Contamination in Lake Lácar: the issue at the plant
Last Monday, a technical issue at the Effluent Treatment Plant led to it operating with a bypass, releasing treated sewage into the water for a few hours.
The Drinking Water and Sanitation Cooperative announced on the same day that the technical issue had been fixed. However, the situation led to the discharge of the liquids for hours.
The Ombudsman for the Environment of San Martín de los Andes indicated that on October 30, they submitted a report detailing what had happened. “Repeated and constant bypasses are carried out from both effluent treatment plants, called PTE1 and 3, which discharge the liquid into the Maipú Stream, Pocahullo Stream, and then into Lake Lácar.”
## The NGO’s complaint
From the NGO, they agreed with what happened and insisted that the situation is not new but has been going on for several years. “This has been happening for years,” said Executive Director, Sebastián Homps, to Río Negro.
Thus, he added that although the people of San Martín consume water from Lake Lolog, the impact of pollution in Lácar, used for recreation, “is enormous.”
Homps explained that even though it is not for consumption, “bathing or being by the contaminated water can cause diseases.” Moreover, from a tourist and economic perspective, “knowing that San Martín de los Andes has a contaminated lake affects people’s interest,” he emphasized.
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