Cantareira System
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

__NOTOC__ Sistema Cantareira (''Cantareira system'') is a water supply system in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is composed of five interconnected reservoirs that provide water to 9 million people in the
São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
metropolitan area. The system is managed by
Sabesp Sabesp is a Brazilian water and waste management company owned by the state of São Paulo. It provides water and sewage services to residential, commercial and industrial users in São Paulo and in 363 of the 645 municipalities in São Paulo S ...
, São Paulo's state water management company.


History

By 1960, the São Paulo state government, concerned about the high population growth of the city of São Paulo and neighboring towns, whose population has totaled 4.8 million inhabitants, decided to enhance the water supply of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, planning the construction of several reservoirs in the headwaters of Piracicaba River basin, thus beginning the Cantareira System. In 1966, work began on the construction of reservoirs on the Juqueri River (today Paiva Castro), Cachoeira, and Atibainha. In 1976, the Jacarei and Jaguari reservoirs were started by adding a capacity of 22,000 liters, second to the system.


2014–17 water crisis

In 2014, low rainfall in the state of São Paulo led to a severe drought. The Cantareira system's water level has fallen constantly, leading to water shortages in some areas of the city. Among the measures taken by Sabesp to face the problem are reducing the water pressure to residences, a bonus for customers who save water, and exploring the reservoir's ground water. With the lack of rain after November 2014, a severe drought situation developed. By February 2015, only 6% of Cantareira's capacity was filled.


References

* São Paulo (state) Water supply and sanitation in Brazil Reservoirs in Brazil Landforms of São Paulo (state) {{SaoPauloState-geo-stub