Six dams at imminent risk of collapse in Rio Grande do Sul

The government of Rio Grande do Sul reported Sunday (May 5) that the total number of dams with an imminent risk of collapse due to heavy rains has risen to six in the state. On Saturday, only two “required measures to preserve lives.”

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In all, 18 dams in the state have some level of fragility. In addition to the six dams in the most critical conditions, another five are on “alert level,” when “anomalies demand measures to preserve safety.”

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There are also seven dams on “attention level,” when “anomalies do not compromise safety in the short term, but require monitoring, control, or repair over time.”

In addition to the 14 de Julho dam, which partly ruptured last Thursday (2) between the towns of Cotiporã and Bento Gonçalves, the PCH Salto Forqueta dam, in São José do Herval e Putinga, is at imminent risk of rupture. At Salto Forqueta, “damage to the right bank of the dam and an accident in the powerhouse caused by a series of landslides” have been identified.

The São Miguel dam, in Bento Gonçalves, the SDR dam, in Eldorado do Sul, the Saturnino de Brito dam, in São Martinho da Serra, and the Arroio Barracão dam, in Bento Gonçalves, are also at emergency level with risk of collapse.