Camar’s Community Inaugurates Modern Wastewater Treatment Plant: A Transformative Step Towards a Brighter Future

The community of Camar, along with SQM Lithium, has proudly inaugurated the much-anticipated Wastewater Treatment Plant, a project that will bring immense benefits to the population and their various social and productive development initiatives, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for all.

This collaborative effort between the Camar community and SQM Lithium has been growing over time, with the residents themselves raising their concerns and expressing their desire to continue working towards the well-being of their village. The company has listened and collaborated to improve the living conditions of everyone in the community.

As Alexis Romero, the President of the Atacameño Peoples Council (CPA), stated, I congratulate you on the work you have done, both as a board and as a community. As CPA, I invite all communities to join us and recognize the arduous work that has been carried out in Camar.

This Wastewater Treatment Plant is the result of the joint effort between the community, its board, and SQM Lithium. It adds to the already inaugurated photovoltaic and drinking water plants, as well as a forage shed, representing a significant advancement for this village located south of San Pedro de Atacama. These developments will open the door to various improvements, both in the daily lives of the people and in the business opportunities they can pursue.

As Paulina Vásquez, the director of the Camar School, commented, For the community, it is a very important step, for my children, it is a very important step, for the households, and it will also generate new projects, new advancements, and a cleaner environment. The water can be recovered and used for other inputs.

Juana Tinte, the president of the Machuca community, emphasized, It is very important that Camar is growing, and it is an example for other communities that may not have this plant, but it encourages all communities to have our own treatment plants to continue growing as a community.

The president of the Camar community, Héctor Cruz, expressed his joy over this important milestone for his community, stating, The relevance of this important milestone comes to complement the basic needs projects and aims to point towards the development of the town.

Javier Silva, the Sustainability and Community Relations Manager of SQM Lithium, explained, The work we are doing here is an example of how there can be public-community and private partnerships to improve the quality of life of people, with a well-structured life plan and a community strategy on how they want to continue improving with our support, and these are the fruits that the community is ultimately seeking.

Gonzalo Guerrero, the President of SQM, emphasized, It is very important for us because it is part of our relationship strategy to approach the development of the human environment. Camar has been a permanent ally because it has given us the trust and the opportunity to work together to implement development projects for the community.

This is a great news for the Atacameño community of Camar, which has set ambitious goals aimed at tourism development, personal projects for each community member, as well as improvements in health and education, all of which will enhance the quality of life for all its inhabitants. This initiative serves as an example for other communities to follow.