Corsan expects to sign Porto Alegre sanitation PPP early 2020

Corsan, the water utility of southern Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, expects to sign by early 2020 the long awaited contract for a public-private partnership in capital Porto Alegre.

The PPP is designed to bring sanitation services to 100% of the population of the metropolitan region.

So far, eight of the nine municipalities in the metropolitan area have signed the contract to participate in the PPP program. Only Canoas has yet to sign and the decision depends on municipal councilors.

Corsan head Roberto Barbuti said during a presentation that the PPP will benefit 1.66mn people and generate investment of 1.87bn reais (US$485mn) under the 9.78bn-real contract.

He defended the PPP as the best option given the drop in tax collection in the state after years of poor economic performance.