São Paulo authorized to boost water intake from Paraíba do Sul basin
The state of São Paulo has received exceptional permission to increase water capture from the Paraíba do Sul River basin, which also supplies Rio de Janeiro. The measure is part of an inter‑state agreement signed in Brasília by São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais, with the National Water Agency (ANA) participating.
The extra water is intended to support the Cantareira system, which provides drinking water to about 10 million people in the São Paulo metropolitan area and is currently operating at only 39 % of its capacity due to drought. Under the agreement Sabesp may draw up to 31 m³/s (normally 33 m³/s) and the annual transferable volume from the Jaguari reservoir to the Atibainha reservoir will rise from 162 hm³ to up to 268.28 hm³, with a maximum flow of 8.5 m³/s. The arrangement is valid until 31 December 2026 and can be suspended if Cantareira’s level reaches 60 % capacity. Sabesp must mitigate any impacts on downstream uses, including the Guandu system that serves Rio de Janeiro and several hydroelectric plants.
Similar authorisations were granted in 2021 and 2025 during previous droughts, and a 2015 dispute over water sharing was resolved by the Supreme Federal Court.