Chile's parched mines race for an increasingly scarce commodity: water

FILE PHOTO: Reuters journalist Natalia Ramos uses her mobile phone to takes pictures of a yard with native plants better equipped to grow in a drier environment, while Chile is suffering its worst drought in decades, in a high-income neighborhood of Santiago, April 14, 2022. Picture taken April 14, 2022. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A record-breaking drought in Chile is impacting mining operations and forcing companies to escalate their search for more sources of water, from water treatment and pricey desalination plants to even encouraging workers to use less water in the shower.

The Andean nation, the world's no. 1 copper producer and the no. 2 producer of battery metal lithium, is battling a historic drought that is now entering its 13th year. That has led capital Santiago to roll out unprecedented plans to ration water for residents.