São Paulo Government Finds New Water Reserve in Cantareira System

02/11/2015 - 08h40

The government of the state of São Paulo found a new water reserve below Cantareira's current level of pumping.

The reservoir supplies 6.2 million people and currently faces the most critical situation among the six water sources that supply the greater São Paulo.

This new portion of water is in a hard-to-reach area of the Cantareira's reservoir and it may represent a fourth quota of the so-called "dead volume"- sediment filled pools in reservoirs below the original level of pumping.

Folha has learned that the technical staff of the state-run water company (Sabesp) is still doing topographic surveys to learn whether it will be possible to pump water from this reserve.

The government has not yet calculated its extent, but it is believed to be similar to the third quota: about 40 billion litres.

If used, this volume would represent an additional of approximately five percentage points in the total system or a month and a half of water supply.

Last Monday (9), the Cantareira system operated with 5.9% of its capacity, including the first quota of the "dead volume" (182 billion litres), which is already depleted, and also the second one (105 billion litres), still in use.

According to Governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSDB), the third quota can be used during the dry season, from May to September.

He estimates that, despite the discovery, it is too early to conclude whether the water is exploitable during this year's dry season.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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