
São Paulo's Cantareira system is top water supplier, but problems remain

Brazil's Cantareira water supply system has retaken number one spot as the biggest potable water supplier in São Paulo state, after having fallen behind the Guarapiranga system for approximately 12 months due to drought.
Cantareira currently serves some 5.7mn people, while Guarapiranga serves approximately 5.2mn, according to a release from state water utility Sabesp.
However, before the drought – which started in December 2013 – Cantareira supplied 8.8mn customers, while Guarapiranga supplied 3.9mn, so steady rainfall will have to continue if Cantareira is to return to pre-drought levels.
The six main water systems that supply the metropolitan region of São Paulo ended January 2016 with an increase of 181bn liters of water over the volume reported at end-December, reaching some 885bn liters, Sabesp said.
The recent increase in supply is primarily due to two factors; Sabesp's water conservation program and increased rainfall, thought to be due to the influence of the El Niño phenomenon.
CANTAREIRA ON THE RISE
Three indices are used to calculate the level of the Cantareira reservoir.
One measures the amount of water available, including in the subterranean technical reserve, compared to the useful capacity of the reservoir (982Mm3). With this calculation, its level was 47.7% on February 15 compared to 19.5% at the beginning of December.
Another measure considers the water available in comparison to the total size of the reservoir, including the reserve. With this calculation, Cantareira was at 36.9% capacity on February 15 compared to 15.1% some 45 days go.
The third method considers the volume of water available in the reservoir itself, minus the amount in the reserve, compared to the overall useful capacity. Using that calculation, the reservoir level was 18.5% on February 15 compared to -9.8% in December, as all the water was in the reserve.
Cantareira is Brazil's largest potable water supply reservoir.

***
UPCOMING BNAMERICAS EVENTS
5TH Mexico Infrastructure Summit
Click here to see the agenda and speakers
4TH Mexico Oil&Gas Summit
Click here to see the agenda and speakers
Subscribe to the most trusted business intelligence platform in Latin America. Let us show you our solutions for Suppliers, Contractors, Operators, Government, Legal, Financial and Insurance.
News in: Water & Waste (Brazil)

São Paulo’s Sabesp appoints new directors as privatization plan advances
The state-run sanitation giant appears to be preparing for privatization by replacing several people within its top management structure.
The infra topics Brazil's next congress will deal with
Potential changes to infrastructure regulations represent just one item on the agenda.
Subscribe to Latin America’s most trusted business intelligence platform.
Other projects in: Water & Waste (Brazil)
Get critical information about thousands of Water & Waste projects in Latin America: what stages they're in, capex, related companies, contacts and more.
- Project: Waste to Energy (WTE) Plant in Caju
- Current stage:
- Updated:
10 months ago
- Project: Río Madera hydro plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
10 months ago
- Project: Tucuruí Hydroelectric Expansion
- Current stage:
- Updated:
11 months ago
- Project: Matinhos Coast Recovery (Phase 1)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
9 months ago
- Project: Green Hydrogen Plant in Rio Grande do Norte (Enterprize Energy)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
11 months ago
- Project: Joanes I dam pumping station
- Current stage:
- Updated:
12 months ago
- Project: Lins thermoelectric plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
12 months ago
- Project: Castelhano hydro plant
- Current stage:
- Updated:
1 year ago
- Project: Novo Guandu wastewater treatment plant in Nova Iguaçu
- Current stage:
- Updated:
8 months ago
- Project: S11D Carajás (Serra Sul)
- Current stage:
- Updated:
8 months ago
Other companies in: Water & Waste (Brazil)
Get critical information about thousands of Water & Waste companies in Latin America: their projects, contacts, shareholders, related news and more.
- Company: Contern Construções e Comércio Ltda.  (Construtora Contern)
-
Contern Construções e Comércio Ltda., a subsidiary of Brazilian company Grupo Bertin S.A., is a São Paulo-based civil construction company specializing in the building of water,...
- Company: Somague Engenharia, S.A. do Brasil  (Sacyr Somague)
-
Somague Engenharia, S.A. do Brasil (Somague Engenharia Brasil), registered in 2002 and headquartered in São Paulo, is the Brazilian subsidiary of the Portuguese engineering firm...
- Company: Metso Brasil Indústria e Comércio Ltda.  (Metso Brasil Indústria e Comércio)
-
Metso Brasil Indústria e Comércio Ltda. Is a subsidiary of multinational Finnish company Metso Oyj, and provides services to the pulp, aggregates, oil & gas, mining and electric...
- Company: Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco e do Parnaíba  (Codevasf)
-
Brazil's São Francisco and Parnaíba valley development company Codevasf is a state-run firm responsible for the economic development of the São Francisco, Parnaíba, Itapecuru an...
- Company: Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica  (Cade)
-
Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (Cade) is Brazil's antitrust body. Since the overhaul of the country's competition law in 2012, all reportable transactions must be a...