Lontra Wastewater Plant launches Brazil's 5th Nereda facility

Brazil’s private waste management organisation, BRK Ambiental, installed Nereda technology at a new plant in Araguaína to improve sewage treatment for the municipality’s 196,000 residents.

The modern Lontra Wastewater Treatment Plant replaces the former, decades-old installation, which was outpaced by a growing population and new effluent quality requirements for the area.

Lontra joins BRK’s four other Nereda plants across Brazil. BRK selected Nereda for its compact footprint, high energy efficiency, low operational costs, and adaptable structure.

Futureproofed for compliance and capacity

The new plant is supported by significant local government investment into a new sewage network and treatment system. Further infrastructure work is planned to support the region’s predicted economic growth and population expansion.

Crucially, Lontra was designed to meet this future demand – with a capacity of 228,000 population equivalent (PE) – and its modular design makes it easy to extend if needed.

The modern installation also meets strict new nutrient removal regulations, protecting the local environment and providing much-needed sanitation for the region’s residents.

Find out more about one of Brazil’s newest wastewater treatment plant

Passarelli Construction Company built Brazil’s newest Nereda plant in just two and a half years, creating more than 1,100 jobs in the process – an important contribution to the region’s development.

BRK started operating the plant in October 2023. Our teams joined the site in December and started training staff and running processes onsite and in the two Nereda reactors with Aqua Suite Nereda Controller automation software.

Lontra will remain in the startup phase until the middle of 2024, after which BRK will enter into its first 12-month Operational Support service contract with Royal HaskoningDHV.

Learn more about Lontra in the project summary below.