The Aquapolo project was created to address new regulations to restrict industrial use of potable water in São Paulo, Brazil. Upon completion, this groundbreaking facility will free up enough drinking water to continuously supply a population of 350,000 inhabitants, with the potential capacity to reach 600,000. It was spearheaded by a partnership between between Foz do Brasil, the engineering division of Odebrecht Group, and Sabesp, a Brazilian state-owned utility that provides water and sewage services for residential, commercial, and industrial use in the municipalities of the state of São Paulo. Membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology was identified as the most cost-effective solution to upgrade the existing wastewater treatment plant to meet the city’s pressing demand for industrial reuse water. Construction started in April 2010 and the water treatment portion of the project is planned for start-up in November 2011.
