
Residents of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay's second largest city, are concerned about the situation of Lake Republica.
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Located in the central area, about 1,5 kilometers from the Friendship Bridge, the lake has been presenting a bad smell and a greenish color in recent days.

According to City Hall of Ciudad del Este, “the green color observed in the waters of Lago da República is a consequence of the proliferation of algae, caused by high temperatures and low water levels”.
In statements reproduced by the newspaper La Nación, Leopoldo Alarcón, technical advisor to the Environmental Management Directorate, confirmed the situation.
According to Alarcón, the decrease in flow causes algae to accumulate near the dam that forms the lake. On the other hand, the smell is caused by the decomposition of the algae.
Lago da República is the dammed part of the Amambay Stream, which crosses important areas of the urban perimeter of Ciudad del Este.
At several points, the Amambay Stream receives waste that does not undergo treatment. The organic matter contained in such effluents contributes to the proliferation of algae species.
Republic Lake as a source of water
In addition to being a postcard of Ciudad del Este, Lago da República also has two water treatment plants. The liquid extracted from the site supplies the central area and some surrounding neighborhoods, such as the “Áreas” (villages built by Itaipu).
To the newspaper ABC Color, Leopoldo Alarcón said that the city government requested information from the national public company (ESSAP), as well as from the Paraguayan board of Itaipu, about the quality of the water taken from the urban lake.
“We are asking ESSAP and the Itaipu plant for reports on the quality of the water that is being pumped for treatment,” he reported.
On Thursday (23), workers from a company hired by the binational removed part of the algae in the vicinity of the Lago da República dam.
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