Compesa to begin construction of Agreste water supply system in Brazil

Compesa, the state water utility of Pernambuco, Brazil, has announced its plans to begin construction work on its BRL2.3bn ($1.12bn) Agreste water supply system from June 2013.

The Agreste water supply system will be constructed to have an overall flow rate of 4,000 litres per second through its 1,300km network and provide water to about two million people.

Compesa’s new water supply project is expected to prevent the need for water rationing in 68 municipalities over the next three decades.

The water system work has been divided into several parts, with the first phase of the project scheduled to start on 3 June, at an estimated cost of BRL361m ($176.8m).

The first phase work has been awarded to a consortium of Passarelli Construções and PB Construções.

Under the first phase, the consortium will install 118km of pipeline between the city of Arcoverde and the municipalities of Pesqueira, Sanharó, Belo Jardim, Tacaimbó, São Caetano and Caruaru, according to Business News Americas.

Compesa also awarded a contract to EMCOSA-SCAVE-SIENA consortium to execute the third phase of the project work.

The work will involve installing water pipelines for the municipalities of Cidades de Buíque, Tupanatinga, Itaíba, Águas Belas and Iati.

The state water utility has already awarded contracts worth BRL250m ($122.4m) for pipelines.

In addition, the utility is considering beginning civil works to implement a water channel between the region’s São Francisco river transposition project and the Ipojuca dam at an estimated cost of about BRL2bn ($976m).

The construction work is expected to begin in the second half of 2013.

---

Image: Compesa’s new water supply system is expected to prevent water rationing in 68 municipalities of Brazil. Photo: Courtesy of de:Benutzer:Alex Anlicker.