The Bogota Water Crisis is Far from Over

Bogota has been grappling for some months with a water crisis which threatens both water supply and energy generation. With the end of El Niño, Colombia is getting some relief from the water crisis, but it is far from resolved.

Although recent rainfall has helped to stem the decline in water reservoir levels, the precipitation remains insufficient to offset the losses caused by months of drought. Over the last week, the overall level of Colombian water reservoirs increased from 30 to 33 percent, a slow recovery that does not allow for the anticipation of a short-term resolution of the crisis.

Bogota at the heart of the water crisis

In Bogota, the situation remains critical. The Chingaza supply system, responsible for 70 percent of the city’s water supply, remains below 20 percent capacity despite heavy rainfall. The water reservoir now stands at 17.21 percent of its full capacity.

In response to the prospect of a water shortage, Bogota Mayor Carlos Galan has imposed sectoral rationing on the city, with three 24-hour water cut-offs three times a month per district. Additionally, households and businesses have been assigned monthly water consumption quotas, with fines imposed for exceeding them.

Mayor Galan had previously set a goal to reach 20 percent of the reservoir’s capacity by the end of April, and 70 percent by the end of the year, in order to prevent the resurgence of a water crisis in 2025. Unfortunately, this immediate goal has not been met, and it is also unlikely that the Chingaza system will recover its capacities by the end of the year.

The metropolitan area of Bogota, with a population of 11 million, has an extremely high water consumption that has not yet been offset by rainfall, hence the continued low level of reservoirs.

An end to the crisis can only be contemplated with the onset of the La Niña phenomenon, characterized by significant rainfall. However, this climatic phenomenon is expected to occur at the earliest in July, more likely in September. Consequently, water-related restrictions are expected to remain in place in Bogota until the end of the year, as the water crisis drags on.

Are there solutions to the crisis?

For now, the immediate solutions to the water crisis in Bogota are limited to rationing and largely depend on the level of rainfall. However, the Bogota municipality is exploring mid- and long-term solutions, including the expansion of existing water reservoirs around the city to alleviate pressure on the Chingaza system.

The northern supply system, comprised of the Neusa, Tomine, and Sisga water reservoirs, accounts for about a quarter of Bogota’s water supply and has greatly benefited from recent rainfall, currently standing at over half of its full capacity. The municipality is now considering importing water from these reservoirs to the Chingaza system, in a move to increase its flow.

Another long-term solution would include environmental planning policies to improve water retention upstream of the Bogota River. According to a study by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Conservation International (CI) Colombia, and the Bogota Water and Sewerage Company, reforestation and revegetation of the riverbanks would help curb water evaporation and reduce pressure on Bogota’s water supply.