Colombia’s capital ends drought-related water rationing. Its case is a warning to other cities.
Nestled among cloud-kissed Andean peaks and known for its steady rainfall, Colombia ’s capital once seemed immune to water scarcity.
But that sense of security vanished as an unrelenting drought drained Bogotá’s reservoirs to historic lows, forcing authorities a year ago to ration water for the first time in more than four decades.
Every nine days, more than 8 million people in the city and 11 surrounding municipalities have had their water shut off for 24 hours. Households and businesses were forced to adapt by storing water in advance and cutting daily consumption.
Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, announced on Friday that the rationing will end on Saturday, declaring that the crisis has been resolved thanks to improved rainfall, effective conservation efforts and the expansion of a treatment plant that eased demand on the reservoirs, which had fallen to record lows last year.
