Work progresses to decontaminate the Bogotá river

One of the main structures for the decontamination of the Bogotá River, which must treat 70% of its waters, is the Canoas Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). For this to work properly, construction began on the power plant, which will have an investment of 22 billion pesos.

The multinational power company Enel, which was selected for the construction of the plant, reported that after the granting of the Environmental License by the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Cundinamarca (CAR), construction of the power plant began in the municipality of Soacha, Cundinamarca, south of the city.

The company explained that the Substation will have the name “Río” and will be located in the Canoas sector, in the Charquito village, in that municipality next to the capital. It will be composed of two auxiliary service transformers, it will be connected to a high voltage line that will extend for 1.8 kilometers to the Esperanza - Techo line.

“It will be a fully automated and remote controlled substation, which will allow the Company's operation to have a better response in times of contingency. This, taking into account that automation systems, as well as their power equipment, will meet the highest standards,” said the company.

The substation will provide sufficient energy for the operation of the WWTP, but also for the operation of one of the mega works that are part of the capital's river sanitation and recovery plan.

This is the Canoas lift plant that connects with the second mega work, the Fucha Tunjuelo interconnector, so that the waters do not reach the river without first being treated by the plant. This will benefit both Bogotá and the municipalities of Cundinamarca from Soacha to Girardot.

The Canoas lift plant was awarded in 2018 for 350 million pesos, and has the mission of pumping 38,400 liters per second of wastewater from the Fucha, Tintal and Tunjuelo river basins. However, according to the Personería de Bogotá, the work is 50% late and will not be delivered this year until 2023, reported the newspaper El Espectador in February 2022.

These works to decontaminate the Bogotá River amount to 3.9 billion pesos of investment by the District, through the Aqueduct, which aims to revitalize the tributary and even recover the native fauna and flora.

According to the newspaper El Tiempo, in the coming weeks a contract will be launched by the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Cundinamarca to recover the areas with the greatest wastewater discharge in Canoas-Indumil, Agamora and Vuelta Grande, as well as near the Jaboque and La Florida wetlands.

Amauri Rodríguez, advisor to the CAR's Bogotá River Environmental Investment Fund, explained to that newspaper that these areas, although they are flooded areas in case of emergency, will also be suitable with planting native fauna and construction of lakes to make them more enjoyable. Eventually, the water will arrive there after being treated.

It is hoped that these areas can change the face of the Bogotá River, from a polluted tributary, to a park that can be enjoyed by the people of the capital. However, for that to happen, treatment plants that are still under construction must first come into operation, such as the Rio substation that starts on site. In addition to Canoas is that of Salitre, which is closer to completion and will have to filter 30% of the waters of the capital.

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