칠레 하원은 담수화 플랜트를 구축하고 가뭄으로 심각한 피해를 힙은 우선적으로 처리하는 사업의 실행가능성을 조사하는 데 대한 결의안을 승인했다고 밝혔다. 하원은 미첼 바첼레트 칠레 대통령의 ‘가뭄대응국가계획’의 일환으로 이번 조사를 요청했다고 BN Americas 매체는 전했다.

바첼레트 대통령의 계획은 19개개의 대형댐 건설, 처리된 폐수재활용 시설 인프라, 그 외에 식수 및 농업용수를 제공할 수 있는 방안 등을 시행하기 위한 특수목적 펀드에 대한 정부의 의지를 보여준다.

 

 

 

Chile's chamber of deputies has approved a resolution calling for an investigation into the feasibility of building desalination plants and prioritizing regions hardest hit by drought.

 

The deputies have called for the investigation to be part of Chile's president Michelle Bachelet's "national plan against drought" unveiled last March according to BN Americas. Bachelet's plan outlines the government's commitment to earmark funds for the construction of 19 large dams, infrastructure for treated wastewater reuse facilities and other measures that would provide potable water and water for agriculture.

 

Drought prevention works costing some 105 billion pesos (US$ 143.8 million) were scheduled in 2015.

Chile's use of desalination infrastructure has been mostly limited to the mining industry in the north of the country, according to a report by BN Americas: The Growing Need for Water Innovation in Industry. The Chilean government's copper commission Colchilco has estimated that the use of seawater in mining will grow 14.1% a year during 2015-26, while freshwater usage will fall 1.4% a year over the same period.

 

[출처 = Desalination & Water Reuse / 2015년 1월 20일]