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The Reservoir of Guarapiranga (Represa de Guarapiranga) is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
in the southern area of the city of
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 GaWC a ...
, in the
State of São Paulo,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
.
Construction
The Reservoir of Guarapiranga was constructed in 1906 by the
São Paulo Tramway, Light and Power Company, also known as "Light", which was the company responsible for the regions supply of electrical energy at that time. In 1928, Guarapiranga began being used as a reservoir for potable water distribution.
[SOLIA, Mariângela; FARIA, Odair Marcos; ARAÚJO, Ricardo. ''Mananciais da região metropolitana de São Paulo''. São Paulo: Sabesp, 2007]
Water supply
The reservoir is supplied by the River Guarapiranga and other smaller rivers and brooks, traversing areas of the cities of São Paulo,
Itapecerica da Serra
Itapecerica da Serra is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 177,662 (2020 est.) in an area of . It is located 23 miles southwest of São Paulo and at an altitu ...
, and
Embu-Guaçu
Embu-Guaçu is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated s ...
. It was constructed originally to attend the necessities of the production of electrical energy in the Parnaíba
Hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
generating plant. It is currently utilized for the water supply for the
Greater São Paulo
Greater São Paulo ( pt, Grande São Paulo) is a nonspecific term for one of the multiple definitions of the large metropolitan area located in the São Paulo state in Brazil.
Definitions
Metropolitan Area
A legally defined specific term, ''Reg ...
by the
Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de São Paulo (SABESP), a Brazilian state owned utility that provides water and sewage services. Guarapiranga is also utilized as a flood control mechanism and as a place of leisure. There are artificial beaches and
marina
A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.
A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
s in the reservoir's peripheral areas.
Current use
Between the 1980s and the 1990s the absence of clear political laws determining use and occupation of the area contributed to the creation of clandestine and irregular neighborhoods around the reservoir. Untreated human waste and sewage contaminated rivers and brooks that fed into the reservoir. The cleaning of the brooks and rivers and in the removal of the irregular housings will require substantial funding by SABESP.
Photos
File:Guarapiranga 1.jpg
File:Guarapiranga 2.jpg
File:Gurapiranga 3.jpg
File:Guarapiranga sunset 2.JPG
References
External links
Page of EMAE about reservoirsSite of Sabesp
Buildings and structures in São Paulo
Landforms of São Paulo (state)
Reservoirs in Brazil
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