Brazil: According to officials, there is a drinking water supply emergency in the Sao Paulo metropolitan area, which is Brazil’s most populous urban area.

In the South American region, which is home to over 20 million people, officials say the current water crisis is caused by a severe heat wave, a dramatic increase in consumption, and a protracted drought that has left reservoir levels at dangerously low levels, according to Xinhua news agency.

The sanitation industry was undergoing structural changes at the time of the crisis. The Basic Sanitation firm of Sao Paulo State (Sabesp), originally the biggest publicly held sanitation firm in Latin America, was privatized by the Sao Paulo state government in 2024. Since August, the corporation has implemented nightly cutbacks to drinking water delivery.

Even though roughly 30% of the population is away for the holidays, data from Sabesp indicates that water usage in urban Sao Paulo increased by up to 60% last week, according to a Sao Paulo state government announcement.

State officials responded by reiterating recommendations for water conservation and the implementation of “urgent measures to reduce waste.”

According to officials, rationing that has been in place since August has saved an estimated 57 billion liters of water.

Despite such steps, the Integrated Metropolitan System’s reservoir levels—which are presently just 26.42 percent of their full capacity—continue to be impacted by increased demand and a lack of rainfall.