São Paulo Metro Reservoirs Sink to 26% as Heat Wave Drives Eighth Straight Day of Decline

Overview

• Sabesp reports the Integrated Metropolitan System at 26.1% of usable storage on Dec. 29, the lowest stretch of the month and the worst December level since the 2015 crisis.
• Under the contingency plan’s Faixa 3, water pressure is reduced from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.; tighter cuts would be triggered only if levels stay below the next threshold for seven consecutive days.
• The heat wave pushed São Paulo’s temperature to 37.2°C on Dec. 28 and lifted water use by up to 60%, forcing operational outflows to rise from 66 to 72 m³/s despite holiday travel.
• Localized impacts include low pressure and interruptions in higher neighborhoods, emergency water trucks in Tatuí, and irregular supply in parts of Contagem and Esmeraldas as Grande BH’s Paraopeba system sits at 46.6%.
• The state says night pressure cuts saved 57 billion liters from Aug. 28 to Dec. 16, and official forecasts point to below-average January rainfall that may slow recovery.