Drinking Water in Bogotá: Sustainability of a Strategic Resource

This article explores the sustainability of Bogotá’s drinking water system through an ecological, territorial, and strategic management lens. Although the city has historically enjoyed a relatively stable water supply, recent evidence highlights increasing pressure on its hydrological system. Using a quantitative approach based on data from official institutions such as the Bogotá Water and Sewerage Company (EAAB), the Regional Autonomous Corporation (CAR), and DANE, the study identifies consumption patterns, service coverage disparities, and environmental stress on key supply sources, particularly the Chingaza páramo. The findings reveal a sustained rise in per capita consumption in high-income areas, contrasted with access difficulties in peripheral zones, alongside ecosystem degradation driven by climate change and urban expansion. At the time of writing, Bogotá is implementing weekly water rationing by locality, a measure that reflects the system's vulnerability to declining reservoir levels. The article concludes that drinking water must be recognized as a strategic resource, and its sustainability depends on urgent multilevel governance, robust environmental policies, equitable access, and a cultural shift toward responsible water use.