The State’s contingency plan has pressure reduction for 10 hours a day
O “useful volume” of water reservoirs that supply the metropolitan region of São Paulo rose from 49.00% to 50.7% in the last 7 days.
On October 24, when the (Public Services Regulatory Agency of the State of São Paulo) launched a contingency plan to reduce consumption, the level of “useful volume” of SIM (Metropolitan Integrated System) was at 28.7%.
The contingency measure was for the band 2, which since the launch of the plan was in band 3.
In band 3, Sabesp reduces water pressure for 10 hours a day. The increase to 12 hours will be adopted if the integrated system level falls below 22.6%.
O “useful volume” is the difference between the total volume and the “dead volume”which is below the normal collection point and from which water can only be removed by pumping. The current shortage is caused by a lack of rain.
The ranges in São Paulo’s contingency plan are not fixed. They are changed based on a general assessment of the behavior of the integrated system.
Here are the current limits:
- track 1 (below 40.6%) – review of basin transpositions and reinforcement of campaigns for conscious water use;
- track 2 (below 34.6%) – reduction of pressure in the supply network for 8 hours at night;
- track 3 (below 28.6%) – pressure reduction for 10 hours;
- track 4 (below 22.6%) – pressure reduction for 12 hours;
- track 5 (below 16.6%) – pressure reduction for 14 hours;
- track 6 (below 6.6%) – pressure reduction for 16 hours, installation of pumps to capture the “dead volume” and emergency calls in hospitals, hemodialysis clinics, prisons and fire stations;
- track 7 (below -3.4%) – supply rotation.
Changing lanes – with increased pressure reduction time – is only done when the level remains below the limit for 7 consecutive days. To relax the measure and return to a previous range, with a milder decrease in pressure reduction time, the level must remain above the limit for 14 consecutive days.
