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Japanese technology, billion-dollar works, and sanitation expansion place ETE Barueri at the center of one of the largest ongoing environmental interventions in the state of São Paulo, with a direct impact on sewage treatment capacity in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region.
The ETE Barueri, in Greater São Paulo, the largest sewage treatment plant in Latin America, received the first of four sets of superbombs that will increase the intake of raw sewage from 24,000 to 36,000 liters per second, according to the Government of São Paulo.
Integrated into the unit’s expansion and retrofit work, the equipment is part of the Integra Tietê program, which foresees R$ 5.7 billion in investments and completion by the end of 2029.
With modernization, the treatment capacity is expected to grow by 40.6%, expanding service access to more than 4 million people.
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Expanded capacity at ETE Barueri
Described by the São Paulo government as unprecedented in Brazil and developed with Japanese technology, the new pumps were designed to increase the inflow of raw sewage into the station and reinforce the operation of an essential structure for Greater São Paulo.
In practice, the expansion will add more than 1 billion liters treated per day to the unit’s capacity, a volume compared to more than 103,000 10,000-liter water trucks circulating daily.
In addition to the pumping advancement, Sabesp plans to increase the average treatment capacity of ETE Barueri from 16,000 to 22,500 liters per second, an operational gain equivalent to about 2 million inhabitants in additional sanitation capacity.
Scheduled to start operation in January 2027, the first of the four pumps will be followed by the other equipment, which should be activated in a staggered manner in the following years.
The station continuously serves São Paulo, Barueri, Osasco, Carapicuíba, Jandira, Itapevi, Santana de Parnaíba, and Taboão da Serra, as well as areas of Cotia, Embu das Artes, and Itapecerica da Serra.
Integra Tietê focuses on billion-dollar work
Within Integra Tietê, the expansion of the ETE Barueri aims to increase sewage treatment and reduce the discharge of untreated effluents in the Tietê River basin, one of the areas most pressured by urbanization in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.
By concentrating structural works in densely populated municipalities, the project reinforces the sanitation network in a region where expanding operational capacity depends on both new equipment and the modernization of existing structures.
“Investing in sanitation is investing in health,” stated Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. According to him, each increase in treatment capacity represents more protection for the population, quality of life, and a healthier environment, with the ETE Barueri cited as a concrete example of this commitment.
Also commenting on the work, the Secretary of Environment, Infrastructure, and Logistics, Natália Resende, stated that the expansion shows the use of cutting-edge technology in São Paulo’s sanitation infrastructure.
According to her, the privatization of Sabesp allowed for accelerated investments and structural works in the state.
Pumps required engineering adaptation
To enable the installation, the development of the pumps needed to consider the physical limitations of the ETE Barueri lift station, as the existing structure does not allow the passage of fully assembled large equipment.
The solution adopted was to divide the sets into two large blocks, facilitating transport and installation without compromising the unit’s operation.
This adaptation allowed for the incorporation of larger equipment into a station that already operates on a large scale.
Another point highlighted by the government is the internal system that distributes and balances the water force within the pumps, reducing component wear.
In a continuous and high-volume operation, this feature helps extend the equipment’s lifespan.
Sabesp investments after privatization
Since the privatization of Sabesp, completed in 2024, the state government claims that investments in sanitation have grown by 120%.
The forecast is that São Paulo will receive R$ 260 billion by 2060, with R$ 70 billion applied by 2029 to universalize basic sanitation.
In 2025 alone, data released by the São Paulo government indicates R$ 15.2 billion in infrastructure works, a value also 120% higher than the previous year.
The resources were directed towards expanding sanitation coverage and improving service quality standards.
During this period, Sabesp provided treated water to 2.1 million people and expanded sewage collection and treatment for another 4.3 million, according to Agência SP.
By the end of the first quarter of 2026, the goals for access to water, collection, and treatment reached 87%, 77%, and 71%, respectively.
With 1,200 construction fronts underway, the company reports working to bring water and sewage to areas that still do not have regular access to basic sanitation.
The portfolio includes expansion interventions, operational reinforcement, and system implementation in the municipalities served by the new Sabesp contract.
Na Rota da Água monitors works
The monitoring of interventions takes place through the Na Rota da Água program, an initiative of the São Paulo Government aimed at giving visibility to water security projects, supply reinforcement, and sanitation universalization.
The schedule includes deliveries and technical visits to more than 1,100 work fronts in the covered municipalities, bringing the execution of works closer to public monitoring of deadlines, investments, and progress related to the new Sabesp contract.
Among the deliveries already mentioned by the government are sanitation works in Itapecerica da Serra, Embu das Artes, and Embu-Guaçu, as well as new sewage treatment plants in Caieiras and Franco da Rocha.
A system for expanding sanitary sewage that includes Francisco Morato, in Greater São Paulo, was also mentioned.
