Archive · 30 Dec 2025
Sao Paulo Faces Severe Drinking Water Crisis
The big city of Sao Paulo in Brazil is having a really big problem with water.
There hasn't been much rain, and it's been very hot, so the water in the big tanks that store water for the city is very low.
Also, people are using a lot more water than usual.
The government has been trying to save water by cutting off the supply at night and asking people to use less water.
They've saved a lot of water this way, but the problem is still very serious.
The government also sold the big company that takes care of the water to private owners, which has made things more complicated.
The city needs rain and people to use less water to fix this problem.
Sao Paulo's metropolitan region faces a severe drinking water crisis due to drought, high consumption, and privatization of the sanitation company.
Reservoirs are at critically low levels, with the Integrated Metropolitan System operating at 26.42% capacity.
Water consumption rose by 60% last week despite nearly 30% of the population being outside the region for the holiday period.
Authorities have implemented water rationing and urged conscious water use to reduce waste.
Privatization of the Basic Sanitation Company of Sao Paulo State (Sabesp) in 2024 has coincided with the crisis.
- Who
- 20 million inhabitants of the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo
- What
- A severe drinking water crisis due to drought, high consumption, and privatization
- When
- Ongoing, with measures implemented since August 2024
- Where
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Why
- Intense heat wave, sharp rise in consumption, persistent drought, and structural changes in the sanitation sector
- Location
- Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Population Affected
- 20 million
- Reservoir Capacity
- 26.42%
- Water Consumption Increase
- 60%
- Water Saved
- 57 billion liters
- Privatization Year
- 2024
- Company Privatized
- Basic Sanitation Company of Sao Paulo State (Sabesp)