Experts say actions to curb water consumption are late
The water level of the interconnected reservoirs that supply São Paulo´s metropolitan area is falling — the Cantareira system has already reached a critical level — and measures to curb consumption should already be underway to avoid a more generalized shortage of water, according to specialists.With the prospect of a drier summer ahead, there are risks of a crisis like the one in 2014 and 2015 repeating itself. At that time, São Paulo’s water and waste management company Sabesp had to withdraw water from the so-called dead storage, below the level of the catchment system."We have a comparatively worse situation, and the climate scenario is very bad concerning the occurrence of rain until the end of the year. And this scenario advances to the beginning of 2022. We will not have enough water to replenish the reservoirs", says professor Pedro Luiz Côrtes, from the graduate program at the University of São Paulo’s Institute of Energy and Environment (IEE).The crisis that drained the springs seven years ago began in 2013, with water levels higher than those existing today. "The prognosis is bad," he says. Mr. Côrtes draws attention to the latest projection by the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warnings Natural Disasters (Cemaden), of the Ministry of Science and Technology, which forecasts that the Cantareira system would reach the end of December at a level of 36%, if the rains remain in the historical average. But the weather should get drier because of the occurrence of La Niña. With rainfall 25% below average, the level would reach 27%, entering the "restriction" range.According to Mr. Côrtes, Cantareira had only one year with rain above the historical average in the last ten years. In the others, it rained less than expected. In Alto Tietê, the second largest spring in Greater São Paulo, there were two years of surplus and eight of deficit. The last time the system was close to 100% was in 2010. Without a succession of years with massive rainfall, it is unlikely to see this level anytime soon.For Mr. Côrtes, right now it would be important for Sabesp and the São Paulo State government to recognize the existence of a crisis, to serve as a warning to the population. In addition to that, it would be necessary to resume the bonus policy, in which those who reduce consumption have tariff reductions, he says. Mr. Côrtes also defends the suspension of the so-called firm demand contracts, which are offered a differentiated tariff...
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