MONTEVIDEO, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's key reservoir, which supplies the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area, rose over the weekend thanks to a much-needed rain amid three years of drought.
The water reserve of the Paso Severino Reservoir grew from 3,401,069 cubic meters on Friday to 5,093,007 cubic meters on Saturday, a figure that represents just 7.6 percent of its capacity, the country's presidential office said in a press release late Saturday.
Despite the rise, reservoir water levels continue to be critically low, with the lack of rainfall expected to continue until spring.
The government declared a "water emergency" on June 19 for Montevideo and the metropolitan area, home to more than half of the country's population, and announced a suspension in taxes on bottled water.
The unprecedented three-year drought is the worst ever recorded in the South American country since record-keeping began in the early 20th century, the Uruguayan Institute of Meteorology reported in May. ■
