 Bloomberg -- Authorities in Chile are cracking down on water use by mines in the driest desert on earth, threatening future supply in the top copper-producing nation.On Friday, Chiles environmental agency SMA charged BHP Groups Escondida for allegedly drawing more water than allowed for almost 15 years in a move that could result in the loss of its permit, closure or a fine. Just to the south, state-owned Codelco has suspended a planned expansion of its Salvador mine until it can resolve a suit filed by the State Defense Council against the projects proposed use of water.Mines that dot the parched Atacama desert are coming under increasing scrutiny for their use of water, with lithium giant Soc. Quimica Minera de Chile SA facing a Supreme Court ruling after community complaints. Even in central Chile, scare water supplies have restricted output at Anglo American Plcs Los Bronces mine and Codelcos El Teniente.At Escondida, the regulator accuses the worlds biggest copper mine of a serious decline in the water table, alleging the operation failed to lower extraction at four control points since 2005 and reached triple the acceptable threshold in 2019. BHP has 10 days to present a compliance program in response to the charge.Escondida rejected the allegations, saying in an emailed statement that it ceased extraction from aquifers at the end of 2019 and now runs exclusively with desalinated water.Escondida has never exceeded the restriction of 25 centimeters established as maximum acceptable decrease of the aquifer level in the monitoring area of the wetlands of Tilopozo, it said.The suit against Salvadors expansion threatens future supply given the project is needed to replenish falling ore grades at Codelcos smallest and least profitable operation.Updates with comment from EscondidaFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2020 Bloomberg L.P. 