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Sistema Cantareira (''Cantareira system'') is a
water supply system
A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following:
# A drainage basin (see water purification – sourc ...
in the
state of São Paulo
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
, Brazil. It is composed of five interconnected reservoirs that provide water to 9 million people in the
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
metropolitan area.
The system is managed by
Sabesp
Sabesp is a Brazilian water and waste management company headquartered in 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 State, ty ...
, 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
Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidat ...
.
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