Celepsa performs first maintenance of Capillucas Dam 2018

Friday, March 2, 2018.- Celepsa announced that as part of the necessary operational activities of the El Platanal Hydroelectric Power Plant carried out during the rainy season, it is performing the first maintenance of the Capillucas Dam of 2018, today Friday, March 2 from 06:00 hours. As is well known, this is a procedure that basically consists of the gradual emptying of the dam to achieve the natural release of silt, sand and organic material coming from the upper and middle part of the Cañete river basin, which have been retained by the dam in the last year.

In that sense, the characteristics of the maintenance of the Capillucas Dam are:

• It will have a duration of up to 8 hours. Due to the time it will take for the water to reach from the Capillucas dam (kilometer 95 of the Cañete - Lunahuaná - Yauyos - Huancayo highway) to the river mouth, the maintenance will be felt in the morning hours in the ecological flow zone and in the afternoon and evening throughout the basin.
• As a consequence of this procedure and for some hours, it is expected that there will be an increase in turbidity and a change in the odor of the river water, as a result of the accumulation of organic material in the reservoir. The longer the storage time, the greater the odor.
• Celepsa has been carrying out controls before, during and after this activity in order to ensure and demonstrate that there is no negative effect on the aquatic life of the Cañete River.
• Maintenance of the Capillucas dam is authorized in the environmental impact assessment (EIA), which is the tool that regulates the operation of the El Platanal hydroelectric plant.
• The El Platanal hydroelectric plant does not generate any type of effluent in its power generation process, nor does it modify the physical or chemical conditions of the water captured for its operation. It is therefore a mistake to confuse the material accumulated at the bottom of the Capillucas Dam (silt, sand, and organic material from the upper and middle part of the basin) with the domestic wastewater from its camps, which is treated in the corresponding plants before being returned to the river.

The recommendations to be taken into account during maintenance are the following:

• Avoid direct consumption of river water (during that day).
• Take the necessary precautions when scheduling crop irrigation.
• Remove reeds, mats, belongings, and livestock from the riparian strip.

The company expresses its gratitude for making this information available to the population and is willing to answer any additional questions.

Press contact: Claudia Noda - Communications Coordinator / cnoda@celepsa.com