Prolagos opens Cabo Frio sewage plant

Water utility Prolagos, which serves five municipalities in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state, inaugurated a sewage plant Tuesday in the municipality of Cabo Frio, Prolagos and the state government reported. The 29mn-real (US$10.8mn), 34 million l/day-capacity plant will help prevent sewage discharge into Araruama lake. The system includes 27km of collectors and interceptors, and seven pumping stations. Sewage treatment systems have already been built in the municipalities of Buzios and Sao Pedro da Aldeia, while construction of a system for Iguaba Grande is wrapping up. In 2000, Portuguese water utility Aguas de Portugal acquired 93.5% of Prolagos, which serves some 250,000 residents (swelling to 1 million in the summer months) under a 25-year concession that began in 1998. A contractual commitment with a fifth municipality - Arraial do Cabo - only entails potable water supply. Through October this year, Prolagos had invested 192mn reais since it began its concession, 100mn reais of which went to potable water works that increased urban coverage to 90% from 30%. Sewerage investment stands at over 90mn reais. Total planned investment through 2023 stands at 380mn reais.