Portuguese 
Spanish 
Giant reservoirs in Itanhaém expand the storage of treated water in Baixada Santista, strengthen the supply in cities of the South Coast, and change the routine of families who lived for years with low pressure in the taps and improvisations to ensure water at home.
The delivery of two new treated water reservoirs at the Mambu-Branco Storage Center in Itanhaém, in Baixada Santista, expanded the capacity of the regional system and aims to reduce an old problem for residents of the South Coast: the lack of water in the taps.
With a combined capacity of 20 million liters, the structures went into operation after an announced investment of R$ 84.6 million, in a project treated by the Government of São Paulo as a strategic reinforcement for periods of higher consumption.
Installed in an area relevant for the supply of Itanhaém and neighboring cities, the center now functions as an additional reserve of treated water, especially during peak demand times, maintenance, or increased pressure on the network.
-
Luxury Mansion in Rio with Views of Christ the Redeemer Listed for $25 Million
-
How Underwater Bridge Foundations Support Thousands of Tons Without Sinking: The Engineering Techniques Behind River and Sea Constructions
-
BYD’s Giant Ship Docks in Southern Brazil with 7,216 Electric and Hybrid Cars, Marking the Largest Automotive Operation at the Port in 2026 and Bringing First-Half Total to Nearly 15,500 Vehicles
-
Cuba Implements Sweeping Economic Reforms, Legalizes Holdings and Corporations, Allows Foreign Investment in Private Companies, and Lifts Employee Limits After Over 60 Years
In the high season months, when the floating population grows on the São Paulo coast, the demand for treated water increases significantly and makes any limitation in available storage more sensitive for meeting families’ needs.
The first stage of the project includes two reservoirs in Mambu-Branco, while the final capacity forecast by the state government indicates 40 million liters after the complete expansion of the complex.
Once completed, the structure is expected to impact the supply of about 1.2 million residents in five cities of the South Coast, including Itanhaém, Mongaguá, Praia Grande, São Vicente, and Peruíbe.
Reservoirs strengthen supply on the South Coast
Part of the Mambu-Branco system, the new structures were planned to reinforce regional service and provide more stability to supply in municipalities that historically suffer from fluctuations during periods of higher activity.
By increasing the stored volume, the operation gains leeway to respond to interruptions, maintenance, and sudden increases in consumption, without relying solely on the immediate production of treated water to maintain service.
Before the expansion, residents reported a routine marked by improvisations, especially in neighborhoods where low pressure made it difficult to fill water tanks throughout the day and forced families to reorganize domestic habits.
In many cases, it was necessary to wait until dawn to be able to store water, resort to gallons, fill drums, or seek alternatives outside the home for basic tasks such as cooking, washing clothes, and bathing.
Self-employed Alzira Paulo Almeida summarized the impact of the change by recalling the period of irregular supply and the need to wait for times of lower consumption to be able to use water at home.
“We suffered a lot, we had to bathe after 10 PM, midnight, which was when the water had the strength to fill the water tanks. It was terrible,” she stated.
After the completion of the reservoirs, according to Alzira, the supply stopped following the logic of waiting and began to allow common activities at any time, without the same concern about the water pressure.
“Now there is more than enough water, you can bathe, wash clothes at any time of the day, the agony is over,” said Alzira, commenting on the perceived improvement in the supply to her residence.
Project integrates Sabesp’s sanitation plan
Responsible for the works in Mambu-Branco, Sabesp included the project in a broader set of investments in basic sanitation on the São Paulo coast, announced by the São Paulo Government after the company’s privatization, completed in 2024.
In the Baixada Santista, the data released by the state government indicate R$ 2.4 billion in investments between July 2024 and 2025, focusing on the expansion and modernization of water and sewage systems.
For the next four years, the informed projection is of more than R$ 8 billion allocated to the coast, in works aimed at expanding the supply, storage, and sewage infrastructure.
In the case of Mambu-Branco, the delivery of the two reservoirs represents the first phase of a planned expansion to increase regional water security and reduce vulnerability during periods of high consumption.
When all stages are completed, the center will have four structures, each with a capacity of 10 million liters, forming a storage set capable of holding 40 million liters.
This reinforcement is also related to the tourist profile of the cities served, where the demand for treated water can vary intensely between the low season and the months of higher visitor presence.
Residents report change in routine
In Mongaguá, resident Maria do Carmo Santos associated the project with an improvement in supply and recalled that, before the expansion, it was common to fetch water by car from Poço das Antas.
According to her, the transported volume needed to be stored in drums for domestic use, a practice that required planning and revealed the difficulty faced by families during periods of irregular supply.
“In the past, we had to fetch water by car from Poço das Antas, stored it in a drum. Now it’s much better, there are new reservoirs and plenty of water,” said Maria do Carmo.
The accounts help to show how a reservation project directly affects daily life by reducing the reliance on improvisations and increasing the predictability of supply in areas previously marked by instability.
More than expanding the physical structure of the system, the project changes the operational response capacity in a region where water scarcity was part of the routine for many families.
Even so, full operation depends on the continuation of the other planned stages, as the current delivery adds 20 million liters to the regional reservation, half of the final capacity announced for the complex.
Baixada Santista adds new reservation centers
With the delivery in Itanhaém, the Government of São Paulo reported that Baixada Santista now has eight centers of treated water reservation delivered to the population at different points along the coast.
The mentioned units are located in Bertioga, Guarujá, Peruíbe, São Vicente, and Itanhaém, with a combined capacity exceeding 60 million liters to support regional supply.
Among the mentioned centers are Mogiano and Caruara in Bertioga; Morrinhos in Guarujá; Prados Baixos in Peruíbe; Rio Branco in São Vicente; and Centro and Mambu-Branco in Itanhaém.
Distributed across strategic municipalities, these structures increase the available volume for supply and create an operational support network capable of serving different areas of the São Paulo coast.
The state government monitors the deliveries through the Na Rota da Água program, an initiative linked to the construction projects planned in the Sabesp contract for municipalities served by the company.
According to the official release, the monitoring involves about 1,100 construction projects, with interventions aimed at water supply, sewage collection, and treatment in cities covered by the contract.
In addition to the South Coast, the sanitation package includes interventions already completed in Itapecerica da Serra, Embu das Artes, and Embu-Guaçu, in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.
New Sewage Treatment Plants were also reported in Caieiras and Franco da Rocha, as well as a sewer expansion system serving Francisco Morato.
Included in this set of works, the expansion of Mambu-Branco reinforces the supply infrastructure in urban and tourist areas of São Paulo, with a direct effect on residents who previously depended on luck when turning on the tap.
Be the first to react!