District announced water rationing in Bogotá due to low level of reservoirs

The president of the capital has reiterated that the situation of the low level of the reservoirs “is critical”, this given the drought in recent months as a consequence of the El Niño Phenomenon. “Since January we made an insistent call to save water, but it has not been enough. In addition, we have a climatic situation that does not help us.”

Therefore, on this Thursday afternoon, he announced that Bogotá will enter into water rationing and starting next Monday, April 8, he will announce the details of the measure that is already known will go through a division of 10 zones, where daily a It will be chosen and not simultaneously, and with specific times. While those sectors of Bogotá that are not included, he indicated, must continue to contribute from savings in their homes and businesses.

Likewise, the municipalities of Cundinamarca to which Bogotá sell water (Funza, Madrid, Mosquera, Tocancipá, Chía, Cajicá, Gachancipá, La Calera and Soacha), the District explained that they will stop supplying according to the chosen area. That is, if it corresponds to the southern zone, Soacha will not receive the water resource either.

“The levels are the lowest in the last 40 years. Savings campaigns have been carried out and although it was lowered from 18m3 to 17m3, it was not enough,” Galán reiterated.

READ MORE: “Today there is water for 54 days”: Acueducto manager made an urgent call for savings

And the Bogotá Aqueduct Company indicated that “6 months of rain would be needed to recover the reservoirs and the system”, even so with the arrival of the La Niña Phenomenon, which according to the Ideam forecast increased its probability by 64% For the July-August-September quarter, “the level of the reservoirs will not be recovered, which is why measures are needed. The level is critical and recovery is slow. “It is not useful for it to rain in Bogotá, but in the reservoirs, in the Orinoquía and the Amazon.”

Regarding how long this water rationing will last in the city, EAAB manager Natasha Avendaño said that “we hope it rains a lot and people save. To change the measure, at least 15 days must pass where more water arrives than leaves.

How to care for and save water?

According to an analysis by the EAAB, the highest water consumption per person occurs during personal hygiene routines, in activities such as showering, brushing teeth or shaving. These activities represent 58% on average of spending per individual. “The other actions where water is used the most are in the kitchen, 23%; in the toilet, 10%; washing clothes, 7% and 2% in home cleaning,” they indicated.

For this reason, the Bogotá Aqueduct Company provided a series of recommendations to make responsible use of the vital liquid:

Turn off the faucet while you lather your body or apply shampoo or brush your teeth or shave. Or in the kitchen while soaping dishes and pots.

Do not water gardens or wash cars with a hose.

Immediately repair any type of water leak.

Install new generation more efficient toilets that only consume 4.8 liters per flush and not 6 to 16 liters like the old ones.

When washing clothes, fill the entire load of the washing machine.

Clean the storage tanks at least twice a year to preserve the quality of the water in the home.

Collect the cold water from the shower in a bucket while it heats up.

For more news from the capital and Cundinamarca, visit the Bogotá section of El Espectador.