Ambalema, Colombia imposes water rationing amid drought

The municipality of Ambalema in Tolima Department, home to about 7,000 residents, has begun sector‑based water rationing. Mayor Marco Tulio Velásquez cited reduced river flows, high temperatures and illegal connections as the main drivers, noting that the town’s 1970‑era aqueduct is aging and was not designed for newer neighborhoods. Under Circular 020 of 2026, water service is suspended daily for specific sectors: in El Alto, Santa Lucía and Villa Teresa cuts run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.; in the town centre from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.; and in Campoalegre, Villa Eduardo and Juanamoya from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The municipality is also deploying water tankers to assist affected areas and hopes to restore normal supply within the next week as the El Niño phenomenon’s likelihood remains high.

The measure makes Ambalema one of the first towns in Tolima to adopt formal water rationing in response to the combined pressures of climate‑related scarcity and infrastructure deficits.