en.Wedoany.com Reported - Brazil's Águas do Imperador company is advancing the construction of the Itamarati Sewage Treatment Plant (ETE Itamarati) in the city of Petrópolis. The project has a total investment of R$105 million and a designed treatment capacity of 90 liters per second, expected to benefit more than 40,000 residents across several neighborhoods in the city.
The service area of the sewage treatment plant covers neighborhoods including Humberto Rovigatti, Nova Cascatinha, Cascatinha, Pouso Alegre, Boa Vista, Alcobacinha, Bela Vista, Itamarati, Rua do Túnel, Floresta, and Estrada da Saudade. Upon completion, the project will expand Petrópolis' sewage collection and treatment capacity, while improving local environmental quality and public health conditions.
As part of community relations efforts, the concessionaire organized site visits for community leaders, institutional representatives, and local residents. During the visits, participants learned about the project's progress and were informed about the future plant's operation and its expected impact on residents. The presentations were led by the engineers responsible for the project and concessionaire representatives, covering completed phases, subsequent construction steps, and anticipated environmental and sanitation benefits.
Águas do Imperador's Engineering Manager, Alessandra Nunes da Costa, emphasized the bridging role of community leaders. She stated that this close engagement is very important, as leaders who grasp the technical details can convey to residents the significance and scale of this project for Itamarati and Cascatinha.
Hélito Fráguas, community leader of the Itamarati Valley, believes that seeing the project firsthand helps deepen understanding of its benefits. He said: "Understanding the entire process is essential for explaining the project's benefits to residents. I look forward to seeing the river become a shared space for the next generation in the future." Lucilene Stephano, community leader of Bela Vista, also stated that seeing the project in person gives everyone confidence to bring relevant information back to the community, demonstrating how this investment will improve local basic sanitation.
According to Lívia Soalheiro Romano, the concessionaire's Social Responsibility Manager, these visits are part of the "Social Work Program" (PTS), which runs in parallel with the construction of the sewage treatment system. "Our goal is to strengthen the dialogue between the concessionaire and the community, bringing residents closer to a project that will deliver long-term benefits to the entire region," she said.
ETE Itamarati is part of Águas do Imperador's new round of investments in Petrópolis. Under the company's plan, approximately R$330 million will be invested by 2033 for the expansion and modernization of the city's water supply and sewage treatment systems. Márcio Salles, director of the concessionaire, stated that this project will transform the quality of life and environmental conditions in the region, and inviting community leaders to inspect the site is intended to discuss the investment and showcase tangible progress.
