Tarcísio has water supply as a challenge in SP – 02/17/2023 – Politics

The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), has the challenge of moving forward with measures that guarantee the state’s water supply and the universalization of sanitation.

One of the main bottlenecks is the threat that the state will again suffer the consequences of the water crisis, such as that of 2014. To eliminate this risk, it will need to carry out works, modernize the supply system and increase efficiency.

At the same time, you will find yourself grappling with environmental issues ranging from cleaning the Tietê and Pinheiros rivers to global warming.

What are the main challenges regarding water supply in the state of São Paulo? The state coexists with a problem of water restriction in a context of increased demand and a reduction in the historical average of precipitation, which raises an alert for supply in the coming years.

In 2014, São Paulo experienced a serious water crisis, which led to works to increase the supply of water (construction of new systems and also transfer of water) and also lowered the consumption pattern of the population – today 12% less on average than before that period.

Despite this, the situation is not resolved. The Cantareira system, which supplies Greater São Paulo, for example, returned to a state of alert last year, staying below the 40% mark.

In these situations, there may be a reduction in water pressure, causing shortages at various points at certain times of the day.

Why does the state face these problems? According to Antonio Carlos Zuffo, associate professor of hydrology and water resources management at Unicamp (State University of Campinas), historically, there have been periods of greater and lesser precipitation. Since the last decade, the state has suffered the effects of a drier period.

“You have three to five decades of more rain, three to five decades of less rain. The average annual precipitation, in this drier period, drops around 10%, 15%. But the reduction in flow has a much greater impact. You have a smaller number of rainy days”, he says.

For him, the state will face a scenario that may get worse in the coming years.

What needs to be done to avoid a scenario like the one in 2014? One of the ways to improve the water supply would be to reduce the loss rate in the state, says Zuffo.

Water loss can be associated with leaks during distribution, but also with technical measurement errors and unauthorized use, such as illegal connections.

In São Paulo, the index is around 34%, according to the annual survey carried out by the Instituto Trata Brasil. The number is below the national average, which reaches 40%. However, it is above other countries in the world – in Australia, for example, the index is around 10% and in China, 20%.

One of the ways to solve the problem is to renew the network. The cost, however, is high.

Zuffo says that there is still room for more reservoirs. “The Alto Tietê system, the second largest in the metropolitan region, was designed to have seven reservoirs. So far, five have been built”, he says.

Sabesp has some ongoing measures to increase supply, including the reversal of the Itapanhaú River, which would bring enough water to supply over 600,000 people.

Operating ranges of the Cantareira system

1. Normal: Accumulated useful volume equal to or greater than 60% and withdrawal limit of 33 m³/s;
2. Attention: Accumulated useful volume equal to or greater than 40% and less than 60% and withdrawal limit of 31 m³/s;
3. Alert: Accumulated useful volume equal to or greater than 30% and less than 40% and withdrawal limit of 27 m³/s;
4. Restriction: Accumulated useful volume equal to or greater than 20% and less than 30% and withdrawal limit of 23 m³/s;
5. Special: Accumulated volume less than 20% of the useful volume and withdrawal limit of 15.5 m³/s.

^{Source: ANA (National Water Agency) and joint resolution No. 925/2017}

Why does Tarcísio want to privatize Sabesp, responsible for supply? The governor claims that privatization will bring money to improve the company’s efficiency, citing as an example lower costs in the private sector.

The model of privatization desired by him is that of Eletrobras, with a share offer and a reduction in the state’s participation. Sabesp is a company controlled by the Government of São Paulo, but with 49.7% of shares traded on the stock exchange, both in São Paulo and in New York.

At the federal state company, the government maintained veto power in corporate matters, to prevent new partners from having great influence over its management, through the so-called “golden share”.

Critics claim that this measure could cause tariffs to increase, which Tarcísio denies. In addition, a survey of the international Public Services database points out that the most common renationalizations in recent years in the world were in the integrated water services sector, such as sewage treatment and drinking water supply.

The governor states that among the company’s priorities, for which greater investment would be needed, is the universalization of access to sanitation – today, Sabesp collects 92% and treats 78% of sewage.

In addition, there is the goal of installing better sensors to reduce losses from leaks and reduce pollution stains on rivers such as Tietê and Pinheiros.

What stage is the depollution of the Pinheiros River at? The administration started by João Doria and finished by Rodrigo Garcia, both from the PSDB, achieved visible improvements in the Pinheiros River – with a change in the appearance of the water and the smell.

According to the government, out of 13 monitoring points, 11 of them already have the so-called BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) below 30 mg/l, the minimum amount for water to be odorless, improve turbidity and allow aquatic life .

The improvement in the situation intensified after the start of government actions to reduce the sewage released into the tributaries of the Pinheiros River, with the connection of 650,000 properties to the network. In addition, more than 86,000 tons of floating garbage were removed and sediments from the bottom of the river were removed.

Now, five water quality recovery units are being built, which will help reduce the sewage that reaches the river. The current governor will have to continue this work, in addition to preventing pollution outbreaks, such as, for example, new occupations with clandestine sewage disposal.

And how is the Tietê river? In the case of the Tietê River, much larger than the Pinheiros (with more than 1,100 km in length, against only 25 km), the situation is more complex and the current governor will have much more work to do.

The stretch of polluted water is divided into two parts: between the city of Suzano and the Bandeiras bridge, in São Paulo; and in the municipality of Porto Feliz. In these places, the water is unfit for uses and unsuitable for aquatic life.

According to an analysis carried out by Fundação SOS Mata Atlântica as part of the Observing the Rivers project, the pollution spot on the Tietê River has grown by around 43% in one year and now reaches 122 km of the body of water in the state of São Paulo. There was also a decrease in the good waters in the river.

The government points to the historic reduction – going from 163 km, in 2019, to 85 km, in 2021. In the 1990s, the lifeless stretch of the river reached 530 km.

The last administration, of the PSDB, cited a series of actions that helped to reduce this stain, ranging from desilting the river to the beginning of sewage treatment for 12 million people in the metropolitan region.

“In all, Sabesp invested US$ 3.4 billion in the works, building more than 5,000 km of collection networks, trunk collectors and sewage interceptors in the period”, said the state government, still under tucana management.

What is the deforestation situation in the state of São Paulo? The Atlantic Forest, the most devastated Brazilian biome, is experiencing a great increase in deforestation.

Destruction in the Atlantic Forest jumped 66% in 2020-2021, compared to the previous period (2020-2019). It is the biggest percentage increase registered since the beginning of the monitoring, in 1985 (until 2010 the data were released and encompassed a period of five years).

Even states that approached zero deforestation (when data do not exceed 100 hectares in the year) showed growth in destruction, as is the case of São Paulo.

The state had a 45% increase in deforestation, according to a report by the NGO SOS Mata Atlântica and Inpe (National Institute for Space Research) released last year. Deforestation in 2020/2021 was 311 hectares.

When the report was released, São Paulo’s Secretariat for Infrastructure and Environment responded that the state has the lowest deforestation rates in the country and an area of ​​Atlantic forest of 5.4 million hectares.

And on the climate issue, what can the current governor do? The governor should, among other points, work to increase the state’s vegetation cover, maintains Jorge Abrahão, general coordinator of the Sustainable Cities Institute and columnist for Sheet.

“In São Paulo, there is a deficit in legal reserves, which occurs mainly on large properties. If you think about having reforestation work in these spaces, you should increase the vegetation cover”, he says.

The legal reserve is an area within private land that must have vegetation cover. In the state of São Paulo, it is at least 20% of the total property.

Other points pointed out by him are the preservation and recovery of riparian forests and the maintenance of existing green areas.

How is the issue of combating pollution? The state of São Paulo did not meet its climate target, that of reducing its greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020, based on 2005 figures. these emissions by 2050.

Although part of the policies in this area fall more directly to the municipality, the state is responsible for controlling, inspecting and monitoring activities that generate pollution, through Cetesb.

Emissions from São Paulo come mainly from the energy sector, which includes the burning of fuel. This includes, therefore, industry, electricity generation and transport —a factor with the greatest weight in São Paulo’s figures.

Over the years, measures to control the emission of pollutants have produced improvements in air quality for most of the monitored pollutants, generated mainly by motor vehicles.

However, an analysis by Iema (Institute of Energy and the Environment) shows how the city of São Paulo presents, in all the indexes evaluated, pollution rates higher than those recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization). The municipality would avoid 11,372 deaths annually if it improved its environmental indicators.

Among the points that can improve the problem, is, for example, the promotion of the exchange of engines in the public transport fleet, adoption of energy options and alternative cargo transport, such as railroads and waterways, and greater focus on vehicle inspection.