Colombia Drought: Bogota Imposes Stricter Measures To Reduce Water Consumption

(Photo : Getty Images/IDREES MOHAMMED)

Despite the water rationing that began last week for Bogota's nine million citizens, the mayor of Colombia's capital proposed new measures to discourage residents from using more water than necessary for personal hygiene and home necessities.

Less Water Consumption

Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan announced that residences that consume more than 22 cubic meters of water per month will be charged additional fees.

He also threatened to punish people up to $300 if they washed their cars on the street or engaged in other water-wasting practices.

The mayor said that city buses, which are typically washed every day, will henceforth be washed only once a week. For public health considerations, the insides of the buses must still be cleaned on a daily basis.

"We have started to reduce water consumption, but there is still a long way to go to reach our goals," Galan said.

To efficiently enforce laws, the district has developed reporting mechanisms for violations. Citizens are encouraged to report practices that impede water conservation efforts to designated authorities, who will investigate and take appropriate steps, such as fines and warnings.

The Metropolitan Police will undertake daily patrols to monitor citizen behavior in each neighborhood. Repeat offenders risk fines ranging from COP$700,000 to COP$1,200,000 pesos.

Water Rationing

Water rationing is uncommon in Bogota, a city nestled in a humid valley of the northern Andes Mountains surrounded by cloud forests and emerald green meadows.

El Niño-induced dry weather has destabilized the city's reservoirs, resulting in forest fires in January.

The Chingaza Reservoir System, Bogota's primary source of water, is currently 15% full, the lowest level ever. Experts have warned that if rain does not come, the area's reservoirs may run dry in two months.

In January, Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a natural disaster decree, providing the government with more resources to address the disastrous effects of El Niño, such as wildfires and water stress.

Faced with this dilemma, Bogota officials last week implemented a water rationing system that splits the city into nine zones. Each zone is disconnected from the water supply for 24 hours on a rotational basis.

Galan stated that since the rationing system began on Thursday, the city's water use has decreased to 16.01 cubic meters per second, down from 17.84 cubic meters per second. However, the mayor stated that the city's water use must drop to 15 cubic meters per second in order for reservoirs to recover.

Over the last few days, city officials have also asked citizens to conserve water by taking five-minute showers and shutting off their faucets while brushing their teeth.

The mayor also proposed that people in the capital forgo taking daily showers, as is customary in Colombia, especially if they do not have to leave their houses.

"We must all use water responsibly. Every drop saved contributes to our collective resilience against water scarcity," Galán said.

Colombia joins Mexico, whose capital, Mexico City, has also been experiencing a serious water crisis as a result of years of extremely low rainfall, extended dry spells, and high temperatures.

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Tags water, Colombia