The dead volume level of the Cantareira reservoir reaches 22,7%.
The water volume in the reservoir continues to register successive drops and fell this Wednesday, the 18th, to 22,7% of its storage capacity, according to data from Sabesp; considering only the usable volume, the system's reservoirs have 8,2% of their capacity.
Fernanda Cruz - Reporter for Agência Brasil
The water volume of the Cantareira System continues to register successive drops and fell today (18) to 22,7% of its storage capacity, according to data from the São Paulo Basic Sanitation Company (Sabesp). Considering only the usable volume, the system's reservoirs have 8,2% of their capacity. A year ago, this volume was 57,5%.
The Cantareira system, which supplies water to 9 million people in Greater São Paulo and to the basins of the Piracicaba, Capivari, and Jundiaí rivers, is suffering the worst drought in its history. On May 16, when water from the so-called dead volume began to be used by the state government, 182,5 billion liters were added to the reservoir, increasing the total volume of the system by 18,5% (982,07 billion liters).
Sabesp estimates that the increase in the water level of the dead volume will be sufficient to supply the metropolitan region of São Paulo until 2015. If regular rainfall begins, the extraction from the dead volume will be suspended.
Furthermore, the Rio Grande System, which supplies parts of Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, and Diadema, will increase its production capacity to help supply areas served by the Cantareira system starting in September, according to Sabesp.
Currently, this system produces 5 liters per second and will increase to 5,5 liters per second. The water will reach 150 users in the eastern zone of the capital, in neighborhoods in the Sapopemba region.