Overview
- On July 17, residents at the Carmen de Areco balneario captured video of an intensely red plume flowing from a canal into the Río Areco.
- The provincial Autoridad del Agua opened a formal inquiry and dispatched teams to inspect Qué Rico and Indupgar SA under the Gelfi effluent management program.
- Early indicators point to untreated organic discharges from local slaughterhouses rather than a malfunction at the municipal sewage plant.
- Scientific studies in November 2024 and March 2025 recorded nitrite levels at 2000 µg/L—compared with the 60 µg/L limit—and BOD5 readings of 14.58 mg/L, 26% above the permitted threshold.
- Residents formed Somos el Río and pursued legal action after 2024 fish die-offs, prompting new treatment systems at one plant even as regulators warn that enforcement gaps persist.