With extra pumping, Cantareira falls and rain should not relieve drought – São Paulo



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SÃO PAULO – Not even the full functioning of the main work done to help the system Cantareira in the dry season was able to stop the drop in the level of storage of dams. Although the National Sewage Company of São Paulo (Sabesp) pumps almost as much water as possible through the transposition of the Paraíba do Sul basin, the drought has already put the greatest source of water. Greater Sao Paulo's supply in a state of alert, operating with less than 40% capacity for the first time since June 2016. Although the drought scenario continues, Sabesp rejects the risk of rationing at least as far as possible. In the second half of 2019.

In the last two months, the state government has removed from the Jaguari Dam (Paraíba do Sul) an average of 8.1 m³ / s, according to a report by the National Agency of water (ANA). the maximum transfer rate is 8.5 m³ / s. However, the level of Cantareira went from 46.2% on June 1st to 39.7% on Monday 30th.

The state of alert is an automatic device, which is effective as soon as the limit of 40% of the capacity is reached and limits the maximum volume of collection, which should go from 31 m³ / s to 27 m³ / s. Currently, Sabesp has withdrawn 22.2 m³ / s.

Below average rainfall has occurred since February, but drought increased this month, when it rained, until Monday 30, only 1.2 mm – compared to an average of 48 , 7 mm. Although there is precipitation forecast for Tuesday 31, and throughout this week, the dry weather must hold. This is a "false hope", according to Meteorologist Patrícia Madeira, of Climatempo.

"August is not the rain that fills the tank," she says. "Between Tuesday and Sunday, the volume should be between 50mm and 60mm accumulated, it is quite rainy (for the season) .This will improve the situation, but then it will fall down.From 10 to 30 August, it will rain very little. Patricia, "in general, (the rain) has been below average in the last five years, the only exception was 2017, which was a good year."

The transposition of water from the Jaguari dam to the Atibainha dam, which incorporates Cantareira, was one of the main works carried out by the company to avoid a new water crisis. , as was the case between 2014 and 2015. death (deep reserve) and rationing implemented – the other was the construction of the São Lourenço system. The work was inaugurated in March, two years late.

The maximum pumping of transposition began only in June, while the Cantareira was already receiving less water from the tributaries for 16 months than the historical average. This month, the average discharge is 7.4 m³ / s, close to the negative record of 6.4 m³ / s in July 2014 – the historical index for July is 28 m³ / s.

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Sabesp argues that the volume of water removed from Cantareira is lower than that recorded in the past and this reduction has saved 245.8 billion liters of dams. "In July 2018, the average withdrawal of Sabesp is 22.2 m³ / s, the maximum authorized by the regulatory bodies is 31 m³ / s," says the company. 39, a lower average than the new maximum withdrawal determined by ANA (27 m³ / s). "If Sabesp had not adopted this measure, Cantareira would today be at 15% capacity, not at around 40 %. "

The company points out that there are other maneuvers to be done between tanks to ensure supply, but already it is appealing to the population to reduce consumption, especially in the months when the water inlet in Cantareira is close to historical minima. "It is essential that the population always maintain the habits of rational consumption of water, avoiding waste, especially during this dry season."

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