São Paulo faces extreme water rationing

Residents of Brazil’s biggest city face cuts to water supplies of up to five days a week, with the Cantareira reservoir system  – which supplies 6.2 million people – down to just 5.1% of its capacity
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Reservoir system capacity (2.2 trillion litres, 2010)

Cantareira 45% of total

Alto Tietê 20.5%

Guarapiranga 19%

Rio Grande 7%

Rio Claro 5.5%

Alto Cotia 3%

Current reservoir levels and population served

SÃO PAULO STATE

Alto Cotia 30% 400,000

Guarapiranga 39.2% 4 million

Cantareira 5.1% 6.2 million

São Paulo Population 11.3 million

Billings reservoir is used for hydropower

Metropolitan Total population of 19.9 million (2010)

Alto Tietê 11.3% 4 million

Rio Claro 27.5% 1.6 million

Rio Grande 70% 2 million 

BRAZIL

São Paulo

20km 12.5 miles

ATLANTIC OCEAN
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Sources: Sabesp state water utility, Folha de Sao Paulo, Stratfor       

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