Biofences : A successful system for cleaning waterways in Montevideo, Uruguay

Abstract

In Montevideo, waterways are used by citizens and by small and medium-sized commercial waste generators (both regulated and unregulated) as sites for the final disposal of solid waste. Additionally, they act as recipients of surface runoff from the basin during rainfall. The improper disposal of waste is considered one of the most underestimated forms of environmental degradation while also having a significant visual impact. To contribute to the development of comprehensive environmental management guidelines for water bodies, the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Environmental Engineering (DIA-IMFIA) developed a project in collaboration with the Montevideo City Government (IM). The main objective was to evaluate and propose recommendations to minimize the presence and persistence of solid waste in water bodies. For this purpose, a point in the Chacarita stream in Montevideo was chosen as the study area. A biofence was installed as a retention device to quantify waste, based on the analysis of retention devices successfully implemented in other Latin American countries. Non-returnable plastic beverage containers were reused for the construction of the biofence. The working methodology involved defining the study area together with the IM. Subsequently, in this area, a diagnosis was conducted to assess the current functioning of waste management systems. The installed biofence proved to be an effective system for retaining floating solid waste, capturing approximately 290 kg of waste during the 16 days it was in operation. Based on the results obtained, the DIA-IMFIA team has collaborated with the IM to train its staff in the construction, installation, and operation of bio-barriers. Throughout 2024, the IM has consolidated the implementation of bio-barriers in other water bodies in Montevideo as an institutional line of work.