__NOTOC__ 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 may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

, Brazil. It is composed of five interconnected reservoirs that provide water to 9 million people in the

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 GaW ...

metropolitan area. The system is managed by

Sabesp Sabesp is a Brazilian water and waste management company owned by the state of 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 Stat ...

, 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 The Piracicaba River is a river of São Paulo state in southeastern Brazil. It is a tributary of the Tietê River, which it joins in the reservoir created by Barra Bonita Dam. There is also another Piracicaba river in the state of Minas Gerais ...

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 freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidate ...

. 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