São Paulo Declares Level‑4 Water Emergency as Cantareira Withdrawals Drop to 23 m³/s

Overview

• SP Águas placed the Alto Tietê and Rio Piracicaba basins in level‑4 emergency status effective Oct. 1 after drought left reservoirs in the 20%–30% usable range.
• Under joint orders from SP Águas and the federal ANA, Sabesp reduced take from the Cantareira system from 27 m³/s to 23 m³/s to conserve storage.
• Authorities are using the Jaguari→Atibainha inter‑basin transfer with a current operational cap of 7.5 m³/s, according to SP Águas.
• Reservoirs remain low, with Cantareira at 28.1% and the integrated metropolitan system around 31%, as agencies coordinate daily monitoring and await updated rain outlooks.
• Nighttime pressure reductions were extended and new non‑priority water permits were suspended, causing localized supply instability while officials urge conservation and say rationing is not planned.