As a punishing, record-breaking drought enters its 13th year, Chile on Monday announced an unprecedented plan to ration water for the capital, Santiago, a city of nearly 6 million.
“A city can’t live without water and we’re in an unprecedented situation in Santiago’s 491-year history where we have to prepare for there to not be enough water for everyone who lives here,” Santiago Governor Claudio Orrego said at a news conference.
The plan features a four-tier alert system that goes from green to red and starts with public service announcements, moves onto restricting water pressure and ends with rotating water cuts of up to 24 hours for about 1.7 million customers.
Photo: Reuters
The alert system is based off the capacity of the Maipo and Mapocho rivers that supply the capital with most of its water and have seen dwindling water levels as the drought drags on.
The Chilean government estimates that the nation’s water availability has dropped by 10 to 37 percent over the past 30 years, and could drop another 50 percent in northern and central Chile by 2060.
The water deficit in the rivers, measured in liters per second, would determine if cuts take place every 12, six or four days. In each case, a different area would face water cuts each day.
“This is the first time in history that Santiago has a water rationing plan due to the severity of climate change,” Orrego said. “It’s important for citizens to understand that climate change is here to stay. It’s not just global, it’s local.”
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