Report Shows Investment In Technology Is Essential To Achieve The Goals Of The Sanitation Framework

A survey carried out by private companies operating in the water and sanitation sector points out that the country needs an investment of BRL 893 billion to reach the goals established in the Sanitation Framework approved in 2020. Information from a projection made in partnership with KPMG still claim that the targets will only be achieved in 2089 with the pace of investments in 2021.

The optimistic expectation is that Brazil will serve around 99% of the population with water treatment and 90% with the sewage system by 2033. However, according to data from Abcon (National Association and Union of Private Concessionaires of Public Water and Sewage), the current scenario is still 84.2% and 55.8% in water and sewage sanitation, respectively.

Challenges
José Carlos Mierzwa, professor at the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering at the Polytechnic School of USP, explains that, despite the favorable outlook for water treatment coverage, there is still inequality in the distribution of investments according to the region of the country. , there is a difficulty, which is even greater in the case of sewage treatment, in expanding the collection network in more remote and rural regions.

“Surely, of all this investment of 900 billion that has to be made, maybe 80% of it will be in the network and only 20% maybe in treatment technologies”, clarifies the professor. Even with a relatively smaller portion of investment in technologies, its role is extremely important, since, sometimes, the process does not prove to be so efficient. Mierzwa comments that the sewage service indicator may reach levels below those indicated by Abcon, which indicate 55.8% of sewage service, insofar as its efficiency is not considered.

destination of investments
For directing resources and private investments, the assessment of impacts, both in terms of pollution and public health, is essential. According to the professor, with around 86% of the Brazilian population located in urbanized regions and 40% of this portion being metropolitan, investment in these areas directly combats pollution, as it contributes to a great deal of damage to water bodies.

“So, if you invest in these regions, it’s obviously where people are more able to pay and it’s also easier to implement structures,” says Mierzwa. He also states that, in particular, rural areas and smaller cities require a greater planning work initially done by the government, considering that they comprise less private interest and, later, companies would contribute.

“To make this happen, there is already the concept of cross-subsidy in tariffs in which, eventually, those with more conditions pay a higher fee for the water and sewage service and this is reverted to populations with less conditions”, he explains.

In Mierzwa’s view, investment in technology in the sector is the way to think about a better quality result. “At first, it seems to have a higher investment cost, however, the benefits of applying this technology in terms of quality assurance and the possibility of expanding the supply of water resources end up paying off”, says the professor.