Unprecedented measure in Chile: Water with coupon to deal with drought

The authorities are planning to impose a ticket on the water in Santiago Chile as the drought enters its 13th consecutive year. This is a measure that has never been imposed again.

“A city can not live without water,” said Claudio Orego, the governor of Santiago, during a press conference. “We are facing a situation unprecedented in the 491 years of Santiago’s history, we must prepare for the possibility that there is not enough water for everyone who lives here,” he said.

The plan of the Authorities envisages the creation of an alarm system with four scales, from green to red. Depending on the level, recommendations will be made to the citizens first, then the pressure will be reduced, and in the final stage there will be rotating water supply to approximately 1.7 million customers.

The alarm system will be based on the water level of the Maipo and Mapocho rivers, from which most of the water that supplies the capital. The quantity in the two rivers has decreased due to the perennial drought.

The rivers will judge how many days the water will be cut off

Authorities estimate that Chile’s exploitable water resources have shrunk from 10% to 37% in the last 30 years and may have shrunk by as much as 50% in northern and central Chile by 2060.

The deficit in the rivers, which is calculated in liters per second, will determine whether the water supply will be interrupted every 12, 6 or 4 days, according to the authorities. When it is decided to impose a ticket, the holidays will be rotated.

«This is the first time in the history of Santiago that a bulletin has been imposed on water due to the severity of climate change.“, Said Mr. Orego. “It’s important that citizens understand that climate change has come to last. It’s not just global, it’s local. “

Some neighborhoods in the center will be excluded from the measure, due to the high density of residential and corporate customers. Areas supplied with water from wells or other sources other than the two rivers will also be excluded.

Source: News Beast

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