| Billings Reservoir | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Billings Reservoir  Billings Reservoir | |
| Location | Santo André, São Bernardo do Campo, Diadema, Ribeirão Pires, Rio Grande da Serra, São Paulo |
| Coordinates | 23°47′13″S 46°35′02″W / 23.787°S 46.584°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | Brazil |
| Built | 1935 |
| Max. length | 20.36 miles (32.77 km) |
| Max. width | 1.27 miles (2.04 km) |
| Surface area | 127 km2 (49 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 751 metres (2,464 ft) |
| Islands | numerous islands and islets |
 | |
The Billings Reservoir (locally known as Represa Billings) is the largest reservoir in São Paulo, Brazil, covering a total of 127 km2 (49 sq mi). It is named after Asa White Kenney Billings, the American hydroelectric engineer who was instrumental in building it. The Portuguese word represa also means "dam".
The reservoir supplies about 1.8 million people, and also is used for fishing and swimming. In recent years, there have been problems with wastewater and garbage such as plastic bottles, as well as problems associated with unapproved human settlement in the surrounding regions.[1]
- ^ Balazina, Afra (April 4, 2010). "Billings chega aos 85 anos com saúde fragilizada". Estadão.com.br (in Portuguese). O Estado de S. Paulo. Retrieved 28 December 2014.