e cannot afford to waste a single drop of water,” stated Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán during a press conference on Monday, in which the district announced the water rationing measures for the Colombian capital. The city-wide restrictions that go in effect as from Thursday are based on the fact that the Chingaza reservoir that supplies 70% of the capital’s water, has seen its water levels drop to 16%, and lowest percentage since this high Andes reservoir became operational in the mid-1980s.

A prolonged El Niño weather pattern, as well as very dry month of March, has resulted in water rationing for Bogotá’s nine million inhabitants, and which will remain in effect until expected rainfall toward the end of April can replenish the Chingaza reservoir.

The water rationing restrictions will be divided into nine sectors of the capital, with each sector going 24 hours (8:00 am to 8:00 am the following day), without water on an assigned day. Households and business will be able to consult that day in which there will be no running water with a virtual chatbot as from Wednesday. The virtual chatbox “Chatico” will be available on WhatsApp at: +57 (316) 0231524

The objective is to reduce household consumption by 11%. “This is a temporary situation,” highlighted Mayor Galán, “but climate change is a reality that we cannot ignore,” he said. The restrictions also apply to 11 municipalities in the greater Bogotá region that depend on the Chingaza water system. Included in these municipalites are: Funza, Mosquera, Soacha, Chía, Cajicá, Sopó, Gachancipá, and Tocancipá.

  • LovstuhagenOPMEnglish
    1·
    7 months ago

    More on this from another article:

    With a population of nine million inhabitants, Bogotá finds itself in a critical situation with regards to its water supply. Initial projections from Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán suggest that water rationing may need to be enforced for up to a year. The urgency of the situation stems from the dire condition of the San Rafael reservoir, which provides 70% of the capital’s water.

    Unless significant rainfall occurs to raise the water levels above 60%, the reservoir is expected to dry up within the next several months. Situated in the town of La Calera, some 20 km East of Bogotá, the San Rafael Embalse is a vital component of the Chingaza water system, serving as the primary water source for Bogotá.

    At present, the San Rafael reservoir, with a capacity of 68 million cubic meters, is alarmingly low, standing at just 19.06% of its total capacity. As a result, water rationing measures have been implemented, starting with Zone 1 of the Colombian capital. The Mayor has divided Bogotá into nine zones, each with a total shutdown in water during 24 hours.

    Note that this is different from the reservoir mentioned above - the Chingaza reservoir.

    Additionally, the smaller reservoir, La Chuza, reliant on the Chingaza watershed, has also experienced a decrease in water levels due to insufficient rainfall associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon. While central Colombia faces drought-like conditions, heavy rainfall along the Pacific coast exacerbates the regional disparities in water availability.

    Seems like there has been a general change in the water patterns.