The Águas do Sertão Company will provide services to 34 counties, more than 560 thousand people
The Alagoas Consortium, formed by CONASA Infraestrutura and ALLONDA Ambiental Saneamento, which originated the company Águas do Sertão, signed on Tuesday (08) the concession contract with the Alagoas State Government and the city halls of 34 cities in the Sertão and Agreste regions for the beginning of sanitation works that will benefit more than 560 thousand inhabitants. The event was held at the Ruth Cardoso Cultural and Exhibition Center, Convention Center in Maceió.
The Government of Alagoas public services concessions held in partnership with the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), was recognized as one of the largest in 2021. The Consorcio Alagoas was awarded R$1.215 billion to manage the services for the next 35 years. For water supply it is estimated R$ 883,411 million and comprises collection water systems in Sertão, Bacia Leiteira, Carangueeja and Caçamba, and Agreste. For the collection and treatment of sewage, the contribution will be of R$ 1,014,053 billion.
In the counties currently served by CASAL (Companhia de Saneamento de Alagoas), the consortium will provide commercial services, water distribution, and sanitary sewage. In the counties currently served by SAAE (Autonomous Water and Sewage Service), all services will be provided in their entirety. Universalization should occur by 2033, reaching 100% of water supply and 90% of sewage treatment.
Alagoas is the first state in Brazil to join the federal government's "New Regulatory Framework for Sanitation" and opens the doors to a "new era" of concessions of public sanitation services in Brazil. "This initiative is a civilizing landmark for the state and will definitely transform the quality of life of the people from Alagoas, guaranteeing more health and economic development, especially for the neediest population. We are building a path of more prosperity, equality, and opportunity for the people. We have one of the most beautiful states in the country, with an immense tourist potential, which will certainly be boosted with the sanitation," said the governor of Alagoas, Renan Filho.
The Finance Secretary of the State of Alagoas, George Santoro, highlighted the importance of the investments that good private projects can bring to public service. "We proved that it is possible to guarantee investments of this magnitude for Brazilian states without disproportionate increases in tariffs. After all, the private investor is committed to excellence in management. We believe that the pioneering model of Alagoas, developed with the BNDES' full support, will inspire other states to make feasible the participation of the private sector in sanitation, which, unfortunately, is still a sad reality in Brazil”.
Mario Vieira Marcondes Neto, president of CONASA, reinforced how much the experience and speed of the private sector will contribute to the quality of public services delivered to the population. "Private investments are the solution for the country to invest in the sanitation infrastructure in order to universalize services and ensure compliance with the goals of the regulatory framework, effectively bringing more health and quality of life to the population”.
