Sabesp points to an increase of up to 60% in the use and critical levels of reservoirs; supply is more irregular in peripheral areas and higher regions
Amid the heat wave that led São Paulo to record the highest temperatures of the year, neighborhoods in the capital of São Paulo and cities in the metropolitan region face water supply problems. In some regions, residents report frequent outages for more than ten days, with supply restricted to a few hours in the morning.
Sabesp attributes the situation to the strong increase in consumption caused by above-average temperatures. According to the company, demand for water rose by around 60% in the last week, even with the estimate that approximately 30% of the population is out of the city due to the end of year festivities. Between December 14th and 20th, average consumption was 66 thousand liters per second in the Metropolitan Region; on Christmas Eve, it reached 72 thousand liters per second.
The problem is more serious in peripheral areas and higher regions, where water supply depends on hydraulic pumps. In these locations, water usually only arrives at low pressure and for a few hours. Residents report difficulties with basic tasks, such as bathing, washing clothes and operating small businesses, in addition to financial losses.
The situation is worsened by the level of reservoirs, the lowest in the last ten years. The dams that supply Greater São Paulo operated, this Friday (26), with an average of 26.4% of capacity. The Alto Tietê and Cantareira systems presented the most critical scenarios, both around 20%. In the same period last year, the volume stored was significantly higher.
According to Sabesp, high consumption in the lowest areas of the metropolitan region reduces the pressure necessary for water to reach the highest neighborhoods. The company also points out that the power outages recorded in the first half of December affected the operation of the pumps that drive water to these regions.
Since August, as determined by Arsesp and SP Águas, Sabesp had been adopting the reduction of water pressure during the early hours of the morning to preserve the reservoirs. According to the company, this measure was suspended in peripheral areas to prevent higher-lying neighborhoods from being further harmed.
The company advises the population to save water, avoiding washing cars and sidewalks, filling swimming pools and using water for non-essential purposes. The priority, according to Sabesp, should be basic consumption, such as food and personal hygiene.
Rainfall is expected to increase from next week, with the arrival of a cold front. Even so, the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) predicts that the summer in the Southeast tends to be drier than the historical average, which maintains the alert for the risk of worsening the water crisis.
