Medellín Water Rationing September 2026: 109,000 Homes Cut

Medellín water rationing is back. After five days of voluntary conservation fell well short of EPM’s target, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez confirmed that sectorized nighttime cuts restart this week under a two-scheme rotation: Scheme 1 resumed Tuesday, September 8, and Scheme 2 — the odd-day cycle — starts Wednesday, September 9, 2026, per Infobae and El Tiempo.

Quick answer: Water goes off from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. on alternating nights — Scheme 1 on even dates, already running since Tuesday, September 8, and Scheme 2 on odd dates, from Wednesday, September 9 — across 10 circuits in Popular, Manrique, Aranjuez, Villa Hermosa, Buenos Aires and La Candelaria — about 109,000 homes, roughly 7% of the city’s dwellings, per Infobae. El Poblado, Laureles and the rest of the aqueduct system are not on the cutoff schedule, but EPM is still asking every household to conserve.

Why Medellín water rationing came back in September 2026

This is a direct rerun of a story that already reversed itself once this month. EPM suspended the original six-comuna cutoff schedule on September 2 after households hit their savings goal within the first two days. That reprieve was explicitly conditional on holding a 92-liter-per-household daily savings target in the Piedras Blancas service area through a five-day review window running September 2–6. The city missed it badly: Piedras Blancas circuits banked a cumulative 110 liters per household over the full five days — far short of the roughly 460 liters over that window by our own calculation (92 liters × 5 days) — with daily savings running at just 18 liters per household against the 92-liter target, per Infobae. The Riogrande and La Fe systems showed minimal conservation as well. Infobae also reports the Piedras Blancas plant is running an estimated 120-liter-per-second deficit, with officials warning the reservoir could run dry in roughly 15 days without intervention — the reservoir math driving the restart, per Infobae.

“Estamos ante el fenómeno de El Niño más complejo de los últimos años,” Gutiérrez said in announcing the restart, framing the cuts as unavoidable rather than punitive, per Infobae. It’s the same El Niño-driven reservoir shortfall behind EPM’s original rationing calendar in late August. This time the cutoff window is shorter (8 p.m.–4 a.m., eight hours, versus the original 6 p.m.–5 a.m., 11 hours), but the comunas and the underlying math remain unchanged.

The new schedule

EPM is running the same 10 circuits it first published for the August 31 rollout, per El Tiempo — now confirmed back in effect under the shorter 8-hour window by El Colombiano and Infobae:

Scheme	Nights	Comunas & barrios	Hours
Scheme 1	Even dates, from Sept. 8	Popular (Carpinelo, El Compromiso, La Avanzada, La Esperanza N.º 2); Manrique (La Cruz, María Cano-Carambolas, San José La Cima N.º 1, Versalles N.º 2); Aranjuez (Campo Valdés N.º 1, La Piñuela, Las Esmeraldas, Manrique Central N.º 1); Villa Hermosa (Las Estancias, San Antonio, Villa Lilliam); Buenos Aires (Barrios de Jesús)	8:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m.
Scheme 2	Odd dates, from Sept. 9	Manrique (Manrique Oriental, Santa Inés); Aranjuez (Manrique Central N.º 2); Villa Hermosa (Villa Hermosa, Batallón Girardot, San Miguel, La Mansión, Llanaditas); Buenos Aires (Alejandro Echavarría, Caicedo); La Candelaria (Los Ángeles, Boston)	8:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m.

Both schemes are confirmed running through at least September 14, 2026, with the Alcaldía and EPM reviewing consumption and reservoir levels weekly to decide whether to extend, adjust or pause the cycle again, per El Colombiano and Infobae. El Colombiano also flags that a single barrio can straddle more than one circuit, so a neighborhood name alone isn’t a reliable guide. EPM ran supplemental carrotanque routes — four 10,000-liter trucks plus two adapted vehicles, 6:30–9:30 p.m. — during the August rollout, per El Tiempo; it hasn’t published truck routes for the resumed 8 p.m.–4 a.m. schedule, so don’t plan around one showing up in your sector.

Confirm your building’s exact scheme and dates through EPM’s WhatsApp assistant “Ema” (+57 302 300 0115), per El Colombiano, or check EPM’s live interruptions page directly — circuit assignments have shifted before.

El Poblado is exempt — but not off the hook

El Poblado (Comuna 14) is not on either cutoff scheme, and its water supply comes from the separate La Fe reservoir, at roughly 77–78% capacity as of September 8, 2026, per Vivir en El Poblado. EPM treats 50% as its strategic minimum and wants La Fe above 60% heading into the driest months, and it has moved up its own risk timeline: a deficit scenario once projected for February–March 2027 could now arrive as early as December 2026 if the dry pattern holds.

That’s why Comuna 14 households are still asked to save about 70 liters a day — shorter showers, no hose-washing cars or façades, evening-only irrigation, checked tank seals. It fell well short: the district saved just 56 liters per household across the full five days of September 2–6 — about 16% of the 350-liter cumulative goal (70 liters × 5 days), with no single day hitting the daily target, per Vivir en El Poblado. If that pattern continues, El Poblado’s exemption is not guaranteed to last.

What this means if you live in Medellín

• Inside the six affected comunas: expect 8 hours off overnight on your scheme’s nights through at least September 14; store water if your building runs on direct pressure rather than a rooftop tank.
• El Poblado, Laureles, Envigado and elsewhere: no scheduled cuts yet, but EPM’s own numbers say conservation isn’t happening fast enough — a citywide expansion remains possible.
• Report a leak or aqueduct damage at 604 4444 115 (opción 1: acueducto y alcantarillado) or the toll-free 01 8000 415 115, per EPM’s damage-report channels.

It’s the third distinct phase of this story in three weeks, and one more variable — alongside rising living costs — for renters budgeting through Medellín’s dry season.

Frequently asked questions

What time does the water go off in Medellín right now?

From 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. the following morning, on alternating nights depending on whether your circuit runs Scheme 1 (even dates) or Scheme 2 (odd dates), per Infobae.

Is El Poblado affected by the September 2026 water cuts?

No — El Poblado (Comuna 14) draws from the separate La Fe reservoir and isn’t on either cutoff scheme, though EPM is still asking the district to save about 70 liters a day per household, per Vivir en El Poblado.

How long will Medellín’s water rationing last this time?

As of September 8, 2026, EPM has confirmed the schedule only through September 14 — a one-week commitment, not a fixed end date — with the Alcaldía and EPM reviewing consumption and reservoir levels weekly to decide whether to extend, adjust or pause it again, per El Colombiano.

Where do I report a water leak or confirm my circuit?

Report leaks or aqueduct damage at 604 4444 115 or 01 8000 415 115, per EPM’s damage-report channels. To confirm your building’s exact scheme and dates, use EPM’s WhatsApp assistant “Ema” (+57 302 300 0115).

This article reflects public statements from Mayor Federico Gutiérrez and EPM as reported by Infobae, El Tiempo, El Colombiano and Vivir en El Poblado as of September 7–8, 2026. Savings figures, reservoir levels and the September 14 review date are EPM’s own projections and can change — check EPM’s official channels or WhatsApp “Ema” (+57 302 300 0115) before relying on a specific date.