The National Water Agency (Ana) and the São Paulo State Water Agency (SP águas) have cut the authorized volume of water withdrawal by SaBesp from the Cantareira system, the main source that provides the Metropolitan Region of San Paolo.
The reduction occurs in the midst of the continuous drop in the level of the tank in recent months, marked by the strong drought in San Paolo. At the beginning of this week, the percentage of water stored in the sources of the metropolitan region was the smallest since the water crisis occurred 10 years ago.
On Monday, the Cantareira system had an occupied capacity of 35.9%, compared to 41.2% in late July and 58.4% on August 25 last year. This Friday, the system level was 35%, according to Sabesp data.
With the decision announced on Friday, the capture of the water of Cantarera by Sabesp will go from 31 cubic meters of second to 27 cubic meters from 1 September, said the press agency of the government of San Paolo, Agência sp.
“The modification follows the criteria defined by the resolution … developed after the 2014/2015 water crisis. The standard establishes water removal limits based on the volume accumulated in the Cantareira system, giving predictability to the operating conditions and the greater safety of the waters for the São Paolo’s metropolitan region and for the PCJ”.
“As a mitigation measure, Sabesp will be able to use the pumped flow of the Jaguari water basin, located in the Basin of the Paraíba Do Sul River, to reach the limit granted of 33 m³/s,” he added.
Ana and Sp águas recommended the adoption of further measures by Sabesp and the customers of the company to preserve the volume of water in the water basins, said the San Paolo agency.
Night economy
At the beginning of this week, the government of San Paolo announced rationing measures to preserve water safety.
One of the determinations was that Sabesp promotes, in the metropolitan region covered by the Metropolitan Integrated System (SIM), the practice of “night demand management” between 21h and 5h, “guaranteeing a saving of 4 cubic meters per second”, said SP.
“The measure is valid until the levels of the tanks that provide the metropolitan region are recovered. The agency has also asked the dealer to present an emergency plan for the metropolitan region,” he added.
The interconnenette sim the large and small springs, the water network and the treatment stations, allowing water transfers between the production systems.
The level of falling water basins occurs despite a series of works carried out in recent years, including the Jaguari-Atibainha transposition, which keeps water from the Paraíba do sui basin and the completion of the São Lourenço system.
“Other works are planned, such as the capture of the water of the Itapanhaú river and Ribeirão Sertãozinho, an investment of R $ 200 million which will allow 2 cubic meters to the second,” said SP.
Sabesp, who after the privatization that occurred in the middle of last year, focused more on the universalization of sewage services, provides over 1.2 billion dollars for the new water resilience works by 2027, mentioned the agency.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
