Chile allocates $328 million to fix sewage overflow in El Rosal, Pinto

The Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (MINVU) announced a short‑term mitigation plan costing 328 million Chilean pesos to address a chronic sewage overflow problem in the El Rosal neighbourhood of the commune of Pinto. The works will repair a 12‑kilometre sewer collector built in 2005 under the Chile Barrio programme, replace and waterproof chambers, and connect sections to reduce infiltrations that have caused frequent overflows onto Route N‑55 and affected families in El Rosal, Las Vertientes and Las Rosas.

Seremi Carolina Navarrete Rubio said the government is taking responsibility to protect residents from unsanitary conditions. Jorge Ramírez, president of the local water cooperative, welcomed the funding, noting the foul odors and health risks during rain. Essbio’s regional sub‑manager Roberto Riva described the measures as a provisional solution, with a definitive upgrade requiring additional resources and time. The emergency response follows the suspension of sewage reception at the Pinto treatment plant due to limited capacity, which had left the collector without proper disposal for years.