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Belém Advances with Major Sanitation Works! Expansion of Water, Sewage, and Drainage Network Promises to Reduce Flooding, Improve Quality of Life, and Benefit Over 500,000 Residents in Various Neighborhoods.
Works that will benefit 500,000 people: Belém, the capital of Pará, is undergoing a true revolution in basic sanitation. With investments exceeding R$ 1 billion, the city is preparing not only to host COP 30 but also to transform the lives of over half a million residents. The works, which include the expansion of the water, sewage, and drainage network, are benefiting strategic neighborhoods and creating a legacy of infrastructure and quality of life for the population.
Preparing Belém for COP 30: Sanitation Works that Go Beyond the Event
The COP 30, the UN climate conference to be held in Belém in November 2025, served as a catalyst for a series of infrastructure investments in the city. However, the sanitation works go far beyond the event. They are transforming the reality of peripheral neighborhoods and historical areas, such as the iconic Mercado Ver-o-Peso, which will, for the first time in its nearly 400 years of existence, have a sewage collection and treatment system.
The Vice Governor of Pará and President of the State Committee for the COP 30, Hana Ghassan, highlighted the importance of these actions:
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“The sewage works for Mercado Ver-o-Peso are one of more than 30 structural actions of the government of Pará. Besides qualifying the city for the event, the initiative brings benefits to market workers, customers, tourists, and residents of the Campina neighborhood.”
Main Sanitation Projects Underway: Water, Sewage, and Drainage – Works that Will Benefit 500,000 People
The sanitation works in Belém are extensive and cover various areas of the city. Check out the main projects:
Expansion of the Water Supply System in the Una Basin
This project includes the expansion of water production and the implementation of a Water Treatment Station (ETA) in the 10th sector (Paraíso dos Pássaros). The initiative will benefit neighborhoods such as Sacramenta, Telégrafo, and Barreiro, with the replacement of old pipelines and the expansion of the distribution network.
Sewage System of the Estrada Nova Basin
Focusing on neighborhoods such as Condor, Cremação, and Jurunas, this project includes the construction of sewage interceptors and the modernization of the Sewage Treatment Station (ETE) of the Estrada Nova Basin. The work will increase efficiency in removing impurities before the waste is discharged into the rivers.
Revitalization of Mercado Ver-o-Peso
The complex of Mercado Ver-o-Peso, one of Belém’s postcards, will receive an unprecedented sewage collection and treatment system. The work, which includes over four miles of sanitation network, will directly benefit those who live and work there, as well as tourists and customers.
Canal da Timbó: Drainage, Sewage, and Urbanization
The project at Canal da Timbó includes the requalification of the canal, paving of streets, installation of water and sewage networks, construction of walkways, bike lanes, and road urbanization. The initiative is already transforming the lives of residents in the area.
Works on the Canals of the Tucunduba Basin
More than 300,000 people will benefit from the construction of new drainage and sewage systems in the canals of the Tucunduba Basin. The works combat flooding and improve urban infrastructure.
Linear Park of Nova Doca and Nova Tamandaré
These linear parks include the construction of bike lanes, sanitation works, and deep drainage, as well as leisure infrastructure. They represent a new approach to the urbanization of previously neglected areas.
Impacts on Health and Quality of Life in Belém
The sanitation works have a direct impact on public health and the quality of life of the population. The lack of adequate infrastructure, such as sewage networks and drainage systems, contributes to the proliferation of diseases and frequent flooding.
Irineu Vieira, a resident of the Marco neighborhood, shared his experience:
“I have lived here all my life and have seen my house flood countless times. Now, with the works, this will end. I have no words to thank the government for this transformation.”
Another example is the Canal Caraparu, which will receive a Sewage Pumping Station, as well as dredging services, canal rectification, and road urbanization. These interventions are changing the reality of neighborhoods that have faced infrastructure problems for decades.
Belém faces historical challenges in the sanitation sector, especially in peripheral neighborhoods. The lack of sewage networks and adequate drainage systems resulted in frequent flooding and poor living conditions.
With current investments, the city is turning a page. The Pará Sanitation Company (Cosanpa) is building the Sewage Treatment Station (ETE) UNA, which will become the largest sewage treatment facility in the state, with the capacity to serve 90,000 people and treat 475 liters of sewage per second.
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