Colombia: Water Deficit Situation in Bogota Described as Alarming
October 8, 2024 Hour: 8:19 pm
The rainfall experienced in Bogotá during the last week did not fall on Chingaza and, instead, the level of the reservoirs decreased by 0.35 per cent, according to the information released.
On Tuesday, the Aqueduct and Sewerage Company of Bogotá (EAAB) reported that Colombia’s capital city is facing a critical water supply situation, which could lead to more severe rationing measures.
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The level of the Chingaza reservoir system, which supplies drinking water to 70 per cent of the city, is at 43.36 per cent, according to the source.
According to the source, this means that it is just seven per cent above the ceiling set by the mayor’s office to reach the so-called ‘zero day’, when the authorities will analyze the application of stricter policies regarding the supply of the vital liquid to the population.
The rainfall experienced in Bogotá during the last week did not fall on Chingaza and, instead, the level of the reservoirs decreased by 0.35 per cent, according to the information released.
Since last April, water rationing has been in effect in Bogotá, which is divided into nine sectors, each of which suffers a 24-hour suspension of service every nine days.
Although this measure was subsequently relaxed, in the absence of rain, the original scheme was resumed at the end of August.
More recently, the use of drinking water for activities such as washing facades, car parks and vehicles, watering gardens, green areas or recreational or sports infrastructure, and filling ornamental ponds was prohibited.
According to the mayor’s decree, these actions can only be carried out with recycled or previously collected rainwater or raw water.
Due to the situation, the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, warned that it would be necessary for the people of the capital, the Sabana and other water-stressed regions to make the best possible use of rainfall collection and use.
‘I propose decreeing a disaster situation, joining national, district and municipal budgets with community actions and building associations, and initiating the contracting of permanent rainwater collection systems for use in household cleaning and other tasks that do not require drinking water,’ he recommended.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: The Independent-The Star
