Without rain, São Paulo faces imminent rationing.
On Wednesday, the water level in the reservoirs of the Cantareira System—which supplies approximately 10 million people—was at 20,9 percent, a level close to that reached in 2003, when the city of São Paulo was forced to endure rationing that lasted for months.
By Alberto Alerigi and Leonardo Goy
SAO PAULO/BRASILIA, Feb 5 (Reuters) A significant portion of the São Paulo metropolitan area is increasingly close to water rationing, something that is already a reality for some cities in the interior of the state as a result of low reservoir levels.
Given the lack of rain, there is a high probability that municipalities hosting national teams during the World Cup will face water shortages, according to the PCJ Consortium, a non-profit group of water users from the Piracicaba, Capivari, and Jundiaí river basins, which help supply Greater São Paulo through the Cantareira System.
On Wednesday, the water volume level in the dams of the Cantareira System -- which serves about 10 million people -- was 20,9 percent, a level close to that reached in 2003, when the city of São Paulo was forced to cope with rationing that lasted for months.
"I would have already closed the registry, of course. Because, in reality, the big problem isn't even today, it's the normal dry season that we're going to face starting in May and June," José Cezar Saad, project coordinator for the PCJ Consortium, told Reuters.
If there is no rain in the headwaters of the rivers in southern Minas Gerais that supply the reservoirs between the end of this month and the beginning of March, the level of the Cantareira System should reach 15 percent. At this level, the transport of water becomes more difficult through the system's approximately 50 kilometers of tunnels.
"In about 40 days the reservoirs will be at such a low level that it will be difficult to extract water from them... The tunnels may become muddy, they will operate at half or less than half of their capacity. This can cause wear and tear on the structure," said Saad. "With the alert level currently at 20 percent, contingency measures and even rationing should already be taken."
The PCJ Consortium brings together, in addition to municipalities, 30 large companies such as the Ambev brewery and the consumer goods company Unilever.
Sought for comment by Reuters since last week, Sabesp --controlled by the state government and responsible for water supply-- has not commented on the risk of rationing in the São Paulo metropolitan area.
Controlled water
According to Saad, from the PCJ Consortium, about 10 municipalities out of the approximately 40 served by the Cantareira System are implementing water rationing to varying degrees. The city of Vinhedo, with 70 inhabitants, began cutting off the water supply this week for periods of up to four hours.
During the World Cup, between June and July, 15 of the 32 national teams will be based in the state of São Paulo. The Campinas region will be home to teams such as Portugal and Nigeria, while Greater São Paulo will serve as the base for the United States, Iran, and Colombia.
The PCJ Consortium believes there is a high probability that some areas will face water shortages during the World Cup.
According to the National Water Agency (ANA), the situation of the Cantareira System at the beginning of this year is the worst in history, with only a few days left before the reservoirs are replenished.
According to the president of ANA, Vicente Andreu Guillo, weather forecasts indicate that there should be no rain in the region that supplies the system during the first 12 days of February.
"Historically, January and February are the months with the most rainfall. January has already been severely affected. And in February, 12 days would be compromised. That would leave 16 days to replenish the flow," Guillo told Reuters. "If the rains don't come, the problem is likely to become more critical."
The president of ANA pointed out that Sabesp has stated that rainfall around the average for the remainder of February would be sufficient to avoid imposing rationing.
On Saturday, Sabesp announced a plan to encourage water conservation, with discounts of up to 30 percent on tariffs for customers supplied by the Cantareira System who reduce their water consumption by 20 percent. At the time, the system had 21,90 percent of its water capacity.
In 2003, Sabesp offered a 20 percent discount on water bills for consumers who saved water, but this was not enough to prevent rationing at that time.
The project coordinator for the PCJ Consortium pointed out that the Cantareira System has received a series of improvements in the last decade, including works to expand sewage treatment and additional dams. Therefore, some of the municipalities served have not yet declared rationing.
"There has been an overall improvement in the system, and therefore some municipalities have not yet decreed rationing. This helps, but I believe that rationing (in the metropolitan region of São Paulo) would be a more cautious approach. It would be more prudent; the situation is serious," said Saad.
The water crisis is also occurring at a time when the water rights concession for the Cantareira System are being reviewed. Sabesp is responsible for the water flow, and the concession, granted by ANA (National Water Agency), expires in August.