SAAE Cruzeiro

What SAAE Cruzeiro does

SAAE Cruzeiro (Serviço Autônomo de Água e Esgoto de Cruzeiro) is a municipal autonomous entity (autarquia municipal) founded in 1977 in Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Brazil. It provides integrated water supply, sewage treatment, and municipal solid waste collection services exclusively to the residents of the city of Cruzeiro, serving approximately 100% of the urban water network and 90% of sewage treatment following the 2024 inauguration of the ETE Central station. The entity operates three water treatment stations (ETA I, ETA III, and ETA IV) with combined capacity of approximately 240 L/s, a fleet of 7 specialized waste collection vehicles, and an Operational Control Center (CCO) that monitors distribution networks using automation and telemetry. It is funded through regulated water and sewage tariffs, garbage collection fees mandated under Federal Law 14.026/2020, and debt recovery programs (REFIS), with customer service delivered through physical offices, WhatsApp, toll-free phone, email, and a digital self-service portal supporting PIX payments.

The entity's underlying technology stack centers on conventional water and sewage treatment infrastructure enhanced by operational technology. Notable technical components include the CCO (Centro de Controle Operacional) which maintains updated maps of water and sewage networks, registers maintenance, and supports city sectorization; geophone (geofone) technology that detects hidden underground leaks up to 3 meters deep without excavation; and a flocculator-decantation unit (Flocodecantador) at the Rio Batedor intake that reduces turbidity before water reaches treatment stations. SAAE Cruzeiro is governed by a Diretor Geral appointed by the municipal government; Carlos Frederico Pereira is the current Director, with Kleber Silveira listed as the former Director who led the major infrastructure modernization campaign. The entity serves a single mid-sized municipality in the Vale do Paraíba region, with no evidence of cross-municipal operations.

Name

SAAE Cruzeiro

Legal name

SAAE - Serviço Autônomo de Água e Esgoto de Cruzeiro

Website

https://saaecruzeiro.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SAAE Cruzeiro is a municipal autonomous water and sewage utility (autarquia municipal) founded in 1977 in Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Brazil, providing integrated water supply, sewage treatment, and solid waste collection services to the city's residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Water and Sanitation Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Treatment Plant Asset Programs (Process Assets, Electrical/Mechanical Systems) (EUANALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Compliance Monitoring & Reporting (SDWA/CWA/NPDES, permits, audits) (EUANAJAA), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

Keywords

• Water treatment services
• Sewage treatment
• Municipal sanitation
• Waste collection services
• Urban cleaning

Headquarters

HQ city

Cruzeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water and Sewage Service Fees: Tariffs and fees for water supply and sewage treatment services provided to the municipal population of Cruzeiro.
2. Garbage Collection Fee: Fees charged for solid waste collection services, implemented following Federal Law 14.026/2020 (New Basic Sanitation Framework).
3. REFIS Program: Tax Recovery Program (REFIS) allowing debt negotiation with discounts on interest and fines for water and sewage service defaulters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SAAE Cruzeiro provides municipal water supply, sewage treatment, solid waste collection, and urban cleaning services to residents of Cruzeiro, São Paulo, Brazil. Operating as a municipal autonomous entity (autarquia municipal) since 1977, it runs three water treatment stations, is constructing two sewage treatment stations (ETE Central and ETE Mata Atlântica), and operates a Centro de Controle Operacional for network monitoring. The utility also offers debt recovery programs (REFIS) and environmental education initiatives to the local population.

Product overview

SAAE Cruzeiro is a municipal water and sewage utility (autarquia municipal) providing integrated public services including water treatment and distribution (ETA I, III, and IV), sewage treatment (ETE Central and ETE Mata Atlântica under construction), municipal solid waste collection, and urban cleaning. The utility operates a Centro de Controle Operacional for network monitoring and runs environmental programs including the Guardião da Água school education initiative and Programa Rios Vivos river cleanup. Additional services include Pix payment options for bills and REFIS debt recovery programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Treatment and Distribution Water treatment and distribution service operated through three water treatment stations (ETA I, ETA III, ETA IV) serving different areas of Cruzeiro, SP with approximately 240 L/sec combined capacity. Covers 100% of the urban area with quality water for municipal residents.
• Sewage Treatment Service (ETE Central and ETE Mata Atlântica) Municipal sewage collection and treatment service provided through the Central Sewage Treatment Station (ETE Central), designed to treat 90% of the city's sewage with capacity of 12,000 liters per minute in the complete project, plus ETE Mata Atlântica in the Vila Juvenal region designed to treat an additional 5% of city sewage.
• Solid Waste Collection and Urban Cleaning Municipal solid waste collection (common and selective) and urban street cleaning services using a fleet of 7 specialized vehicles including 4 domestic waste collection trucks, 1 selective collection truck, 1 poly-lift truck for dumpsters, and 1 mechanized sweeping truck. Covers 100% of the city.
• REFIS Debt Recovery Program Tax Recovery Program (REFIS 2024) allowing debt negotiation with tiered discounts on interest and fines for water and sewage service defaulters: 100% discount for payment in up to 3 installments; 90% for up to 12 installments; 80% for up to 24 installments; 70% for up to 36 installments. Minimum installment of R$ 72.60 for individuals and R$ 145.20 for legal entities. Program ran October 14 to December 20, 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• Water quality rated among the best in Vale do Paraíba, Vale Histórico, and Circuito da Fé region according to Repórter Brasil NGO analysis
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Governo do Estado de São Paulo / DAEEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership through Programa Rios Vivos for river desiltation and cleaning. DAEE (Departamento de Águas e Energia Elétrica) coordinates river cleanup in 16 municipalities with R$ 172 million total investment. In Cruzeiro, the program addresses Rio da Barrinha with removal of approximately 15,000 m³ of sediments over November-January period.
• Governo do Estado de São PaulocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024R$ 7+ million agreement for river and stream depollution covering Córrego da Barrinha, Rio do Lopes, and Água Limpa. Contract represents one of the largest agreements with state government for the city, demonstrating municipal commitment to environmental quality, health, and basic sanitation.
• Domain RHminorOthers · 1 August 2022Partnership for recruitment and selection of new interns. Domain RH is responsible for attracting candidates and managing selection process for internship positions at SAAE through their platform at domainrh.selecty.com.br.
• CONMEBOLminorOthersNote: Source mentions Cruzeiro football club in Copa Libertadores, not SAAE water utility. Different entity - this partnership is NOT applicable to SAAE Cruzeiro.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SABESP (Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo): State-level water and sewage utility serving 28 million people across São Paulo state. Comparable as a regulated water/sewage operator in the same regulatory framework (Law 14.026/2020), and a potential concession acquirer of smaller municipal autarquias like SAAE Cruzeiro.
• Copasa (Companhia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais): Mixed-capital water and sewage utility serving hundreds of municipalities in Minas Gerais. Directly comparable as a Brazilian water/sewage operator subject to the same federal sanitation framework, providing a benchmark for municipal utility operations at scale.
• Corsan (Companhia Riograndense de Saneamento): State-level water/sewage utility in Rio Grande do Sul, recently privatized. Comparable as a publicly-operated (now transitioning) Brazilian water utility facing the same privatization and modernization pressures under Law 14.026/2020.

Direct peers

• SANASA (Sociedade de Abastecimento de Água e Saneamento S.A.): Municipal water and sewage utility serving Campinas, SP. Closest peer to SAAE Cruzeiro: similar municipal autarquia model, comparable scale (~1.2M residents), similar integrated water/sewage/waste services, and operating under the same state regulatory environment.

Emerging players

• Aegea Saneamento: Private water and sewage concessionaire operating across multiple Brazilian states. Relevant because Law 14.026/2020 enables Aegea-style private operators to take over municipal concessions, making it both a competitive threat and a strategic counterparty for SAAE.
• BRK Ambiental: One of the largest private water and sewage operators in Brazil, part of the Brookfield group. A relevant peer as a potential concession acquirer of small municipal water utilities under the new federal sanitation framework.
• Iguá Saneamento: Private water/sewage utility holding multiple municipal concessions in Brazil. Comparable as a growing private operator pursuing exactly the type of municipal franchise SAAE Cruzeiro represents.

Regional players

• Prolagos (Aegea): Regional water and sewage concessionaire in the Lagos region of Rio de Janeiro. Comparable as a sub-scale concession utility serving a defined geographic area, illustrating the model SAAE Cruzeiro could evolve into via concession.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/saaecruzeirosp
• Instagraminstagram.com/saaecruzeiro
• Xx.com/saaecruzeiro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saae---cruzeiro-sp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SAAE Cruzeiro