Note down the dates of August’s water cuts in the capital.
Bogotá’s mayor and water company (EAAB) plan to continue their program of water cuts throughout the month of August. Authorities say the water levels in the Chingaza reservoir are not as high as they had hoped.
Natasha Avendaño, manager at EAAB, also said water consumption is too high on days without rationing. Consumption on July 24 was 17.42 cubic meters per second, the highest it’s been since the city introduced restrictions in April.
Avendaño called on bogotanos to be conscious about how much water they use. That includes taking shorter showers, not using hose pipes to wash walls/pavements, only running washing machines when they are full, and not washing dishes under running water.
Learn more about: Living with water rationing in Bogotá
Water cuts in August will follow the same 18-day cycle as July. As before, the water will be cut at 8am and – in theory – return at 8am the next day. In practice it can take until lunchtime for the water to come back.
EAAB had hoped Chingaza would be 52.3% full by the end of July, but the reservoir is only at 47.6%. The worry is that if we can’t get the level of water up, the city will face continued water shortages for the remainder of this year and into the next.
Plus, given that a high proportion of Colombia’s power comes from hydroelectricity, water issues could also translate into power outages.
Here are the dates for each zone’s water cuts in August. If you’re not sure of your zone, use the city’s online tool to check.
- Zone 8: August 2 and 20
- Zone 9: August 4 and 22
- Zone 1: August 6 and 24
- Zone 2: August 8 and 26
- Zone 3: August 10 and 28
- Zone 4: August 13 and 30
- Zone 5: August 14 and, possibly, September 1
- Zone 6: August 16 and, possibly, September 3
- Zone 7: August 18 and, possibly, September 5
