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reducing pressure on water sources in order to guarantee availability
for essential use are welcome and should be encouraged. AQUAPOLO
The largest enterprises for recycling water in Latin
From the point of view of the industrial sector, the risks and costs America and one of the largest in the world, Aquapolo
associated with water insecurity may be one of the most important is the result of a partnership between GS Inima Industrial
factors that influence strategic decisions regarding the location of and SABESP. Developed as a water management solution
investments or to guarantee the sustainability and return of investments
already made. for climate change, since 2012 Aquapolo has been
providing recycled water for the industrial sector in São
In 2008, the industries of the Capuava Petrochemical Complex, Paulo and its satellite cities.
located in Mauá (1 of the 7 cities in ABC region), decided to look for Innovative, sustainable and pioneering in Brazil, Aquapolo
alternative sources of water, one of the most important resources in the has the capacity to produce up to 1,000 litres of recycled
operation of its industrial plants. At that time, the Complex was facing water per second, using the most advanced technological
high maintenance costs due to the poor quality of the water collected processes existing in the treatment of water and effluents.
from the river it was using, in addition to higher requirements from This volume is equivalent to the supply of a city of
environmental agencies. Even more important was the need to reduce 500,000 inhabitants. During the worst drought São Paulo
the environmental impact of its operations and guarantee a supply of
water regardless of the impact of climate change. has ever suffered, in 2014-15, when Aquapolo's customers
operated normally with no impact at all, and without
Based on the scenario described, Aquapolo Ambiental was formed, competing for water with the population.
the result of a partnership between GS Inima Industrial and Sabesp,
the largest enterprise for recycling water from treated effluent in
Latin America and one of the largest in the world, with the capacity to its operations until 2054. By understanding the real value of water,
produce and supply up to 1,000 litres of recycled water per second. this initiative has ensured Braskem and other Aquapolo clients went
This volume is enough to maintain a city of 500,000 inhabitants. through the period of the worst water crisis in the history of the
metropolitan region of São Paulo between 2014 and 2015 without
Using effluent treated by Sabesp’s ABC Sewage Treatment Station, any impact or reduction in their consumption and consequently
Aquapolo produces recycled water with physical-chemical quality on their operations. In fact, the company even began to expand
similar to drinking water. The recycled water quality parameters were its production at that time. In the same period, other plants in the
established together with the customers and were decisive for the region of Paulínia-SP, located in the PCJ basin, had to suspend their
technological route of the company’s process. The Aquapolo process, activities due to lack of water in the region. Braskem is so confident
known in the industry as tertiary treatment, consists of a biological in Aquapolo that the company uses recycled water to meet 97% of
reactor with an anoxic chamber followed by an aerobic process all its water needs. In 2015, shortly after the crisis, Braskem stated
designed to remove nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter. Then, that “Aquapolo is not a supplier of recycled water, but an industrial
the water passes through an ultrafiltration system using submerged management solution in the face of climate change”.
membranes with a porosity of 0.05 microns, retaining particles, viruses
and bacteria. In order to meet contractually determined parameters, From Braskem’s perspective, the implementation of Aquapolo in the
part of the water produced still undergoes a nanofiltration process, ABC region avoided a historic loss that could have reached around
using reverse osmosis technology to reduce conductivity. The final step USD 100 million in 2015 when the crisis hit the Alto Tietê basin
is what we call a “blend”, that is, the combination of part of ultrafiltered severely. This calculation, developed by the company itself, considers
water with osmosis water, thus achieving the quality contracted by the a scenario of annual water flow restriction of 30%, which could affect
customers, before dosing chlorine dioxide as a final disinfection process production and consequently the company’s results. Additional to the
for pumping to customers through our 17-kilometre pipeline that leaves reduction of operational risk, the company still saves tens of millions
São Paulo and crosses São Caetano do Sul and Santo André, before of dollars annually in its operations, due to the quality of the recycled
arriving in Mauá, where most of our customers are located. After arriving water, which allowed the company to double the number of cycles
at the Capuava Petrochemical Complex, the recycled water still travels of its cooling towers, expanding the recirculation of water, reducing
through an internal network of almost 4 kilometres to distribute water the number of interventions and maintenance costs with equipment,
among all the plants of the various industrial clients in the Complex. consequently reducing the exposure of people and the associated risks
of accidents at work.
Monitoring the quality of recycled water is done online by Aquapolo and
its customers, who have real-time access to the company’s instruments. After the 2014-15 water crisis, Aquapolo has grown its customer base
Periodic analyses of various quality parameters are carried out by internal along its pipeline, serving industries in other sectors such as aluminium,
and external laboratories. Aquapolo also has recycled water reservoirs copper, tyres and packaging and plastic films. Together, Aquapolo
with a capacity of 35,000m³ that guarantee supply to customers, even in customers consume almost 1 million cubic meters of recycled water
the event of a production stop or maintenance at its plant. per month. By using recycled water in their operations, they benefit
their communities and population by no longer competing directly or
Braskem, one of the largest petrochemical companies in the world indirectly for potable water. At the same time, companies are safe to
and which operates 4 plants in the Capuava Petrochemical Complex, remain in the region and plan their local investments, generating jobs
has a 42-year contract to supply recycled water with Aquapolo, and income for the local community. Aquapolo is an important lever for
thus guaranteeing availability, sustainability and water security for the social and economic development of the ABC region of São Paulo.

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