Águas de Santo André, S.A.
Águas de Santo André is a Portuguese regulated water utility, subsidiary of state-owned Águas de Portugal, operating the integrated water cycle under concession in the Alentejo Litoral region. It serves urban municipalities and industrial clients in the Sines petrochemical zone via water supply, wastewater treatment, and industrial waste management.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersVila Nova de Santo André, Portugal
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Águas de Santo André, S.A. does
Águas de Santo André, S.A. (AdSA) is a Portuguese multi-service water utility founded in 2001 and headquartered in Vila Nova de Santo André, Portugal. The company operates as a subsidiary of Águas de Portugal, SGPS, S.A., within the state-owned AdP group, and runs the integrated water cycle under a government concession regulated by ERSAR in Portugal's Alentejo Litoral region. With 57 employees, AdSA serves both urban/municipal customers (Vila Nova de Santo André, Sines, Santiago do Cacém) and industrial clients concentrated in the Zona Industrial e Logística de Sines (ZILS), Portugal's largest petrochemical complex.
AdSA's core operations span four integrated service lines: drinking water supply (via 6 boreholes in the Sines Aquifer System, 27 km of adduction pipelines, 102 km of distribution networks, and 3 storage reservoirs totaling 17,000 m³); industrial water supply (sourced from the Rio Sado for ZILS clients including Petrogal/Galp and ARTLANT); wastewater collection and treatment through the ETAR de Ribeira dos Moinhos facility handling industrial, urban, and saline waste streams; and industrial waste management through the RESIM facility. The company is pursuing an €11 million Nova Adutora pipeline project to double industrial water capacity to ~20 million m³/year, and is in the formal process of being designated the single integrated water operator for ZILS.
The revenue model is anchored by regulated tariffs (urban subscription-based, industrial usage-based) approved by ERSAR, supplemented by fees from industrial waste reception and ancillary services. Customer engagement occurs through physical service locations, a 24-hour contact center, digital portals (AdSAnet, MyAqua), and an emergency response line. AdSA maintains multiple ISO certifications (9001, 14001, 45001, 50001, 22000, SA 8000, OHSAS 18001) and has repeatedly received ERSAR's Exemplary Water Quality Seal. Notable strategic initiatives include a 2026 collaboration protocol with the University of Évora on green hydrogen production from treated wastewater and ongoing environmental remediation of the Aterro de Santo André.
Águas de Santo André, S.A. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Águas de Santo André, S.A.
- Legal name
- Águas de Santo André, S.A.
- Website
- https://adsa.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Águas de Santo André is a Portuguese regulated water utility, subsidiary of state-owned Águas de Portugal, operating the integrated water cycle under concession in the Alentejo Litoral region. It serves urban municipalities and industrial clients in the Sines petrochemical zone via water supply, wastewater treatment, and industrial waste management.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Águas de Santo André, S.A. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Municipal Water Utility Services
- NAICS
- Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)
- SIC
- Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization (EUANAFAK)
Keywords
Where Águas de Santo André, S.A. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vila Nova de Santo André
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Águas de Santo André, S.A. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Potable Water Distribution: Supply and distribution of drinking water to urban consumers and municipalities. Revenue generated through regulated tariffs approved by the regulator ERSAR, based on volumetric consumption and fixed charges.
- Industrial Water Supply: Supply of industrial water to the Zona Industrial e Logística de Sines (ZILS), sourced from the Rio Sado river system, including treatment, storage, and distribution services to industrial clients including petrochemical facilities.
- Wastewater Treatment Services: Collection, transport, and treatment of industrial and urban wastewater from municipalities of Santo André and Sines, and from ZILS industrial clients. Revenue from service tariffs for wastewater treatment.
- Industrial Waste Reception (RESIM): Reception and management of industrial wastes from concession area including industries in ZILS and ETAR de Ribeira dos Moinhos, with authorization to receive industrial wastes produced outside the concession area.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Urban Customer Tariffs |
| Usage-based | Usage-based | Industrial Customer Tariffs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Águas de Santo André, S.A. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Águas de Santo André (AdSA) operates as a vertically integrated water utility managing the complete water cycle in Portugal's Alentejo Litoral region. The company provides potable water supply via groundwater abstraction and distribution networks, industrial water supply from the Rio Sado to the ZILS petrochemical complex, wastewater collection and treatment (handling industrial, urban, and saline streams), and industrial waste management services through RESIM under a government concession regulated by ERSAR.
Product overview
Águas de Santo André, S.A. operates as a multi-service water utility managing the complete water cycle in the Alentejo Litoral region of Portugal. The company offers four integrated core services: portable water supply (Água Potável) via groundwater abstraction and distribution networks serving urban and industrial clients; industrial water supply (Água Industrial) from the Rio Sado for the ZILS petrochemical complex; wastewater collection and treatment (Água Residual) including the ETAR de Ribeira dos Moinhos facility handling industrial, urban and saline waste streams; and industrial waste management (RESIM) including remediation of hazardous petrochemical sludges. Customer-facing digital services include AdSAnet portal and MyAqua mobile app. Major infrastructure projects include the Nova Adutora ETA-Monte Chãos (€11M) to double industrial water capacity.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Água Potável (Drinking Water Supply) Potable water supply service comprising groundwater abstraction via 6 boreholes in the Sines Aquifer System, 27 km of adduction pipelines, 102 km of distribution networks, 3 pumping stations, disinfection systems using chlorine gas and sodium hypochlorite, and 3 storage reservoirs with combined capacity of 17,000 m³. Supplies Vila Nova de Santo André and the Zona Industrial e Logística de Sines (ZILS).
- Água Industrial (Industrial Water Supply) Industrial water supply sourced from the Rio Sado river, including abstraction, adduction, treatment, storage and distribution to the Zona Industrial e Logística de Sines (ZILS). Capacity supports major industrial clients including PETROGAL refinery and ARTLANT. The €11 million Nova Adutora ETA-Monte Chãos infrastructure project will double industrial water supply capacity to approximately 20 million m³/year.
- Água Residual (Wastewater Collection and Treatment) Wastewater collection and treatment system for industrial wastewater from ZILS and urban wastewater from Santo André and Sines. Includes ETAR de Ribeira dos Moinhos with capacity for industrial (ARI), urban (ARU), and saline (ARS) wastewater streams. Features TROG (Tanque de Remoção de Óleos e Gorduras) for oil and grease removal.
- RESIM - Gestão de Resíduos Industriais de Santo André (Industrial Waste Management) Industrial waste management service receiving industrial wastes from the concession area including ZILS and ETAR de Ribeira dos Moinhos. Also authorized to receive industrial wastes produced outside the concession area. Manages hazardous waste including dangerous sludges from petrochemical operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% safe water compliance achieved in 2014 according to ERSAR report - one of only four high-level water utilities in Portugal with 100% compliance
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Águas de Santo André, S.A.
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Águas de Santo André, S.A. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Águas de Santo André, S.A. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Universidade de ÉvoracoreCollaboration protocol signed on March 22, 2026, for a technical study on the use of treated wastewater in green hydrogen production under the H2tALENT - Alentejo Green Hydrogen Valley project. AdSA provides treated wastewater samples from ETAR de Ribeira dos Moinhos and relevant technical information, while the university provides scientific coordination and research. The agreement runs until February 28, 2029.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Águas de Santo André, S.A. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EPAL - Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres: Lisbon-based water utility within Grupo AdP providing wholesale and retail potable water. Comparable regulated multi-source water utility serving both urban and industrial demand.
- Águas de Coimbra: Regional Portuguese water utility providing potable water and wastewater services. Comparable concession-based business serving urban and industrial customers in central Portugal.
- SMAS de Sintra: Municipal water and wastewater utility serving the Sintra municipality. Comparable Portuguese municipal utility with similar regulatory oversight and integrated service model.
- Simtejo / Águas do Tejo Atlântico: Portuguese multi-municipal wastewater and water utility serving the Lisbon metropolitan area. Closely comparable as a regulated wastewater treatment operator with industrial and urban clients.
- Águas Públicas do Alentejo (AgdA): Regional water utility also part of Grupo Águas de Portugal serving the Alentejo region. Direct peer given shared parent, overlapping geography, and AdSA's plans to supply potable water to AgdA in the future.
- Águas do Algarve: Portuguese regional water utility within Grupo AdP, operating multi-municipal water supply and wastewater systems in the Algarve. Highly comparable concession-based business model and service portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Aqualia (FCC Aqualia): Spanish-headquartered water utility with Iberian footprint. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing integrated water management and wastewater treatment to municipal and industrial customers.
- Veolia Portugal (Veolia Environnement): Global water and environmental services group with Portuguese operations. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing water, wastewater, and industrial waste services across multiple geographies.
- Suez Water Portugal (Suez Environnement): International water and waste management group operating in Portugal. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing water, wastewater, and circular economy services to municipal and industrial clients.
- Acciona Agua: Global water infrastructure operator with significant Iberian presence. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering water treatment, desalination, and wastewater services to utilities and industrial clients.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Águas de Santo André, S.A. social profiles
Digital presenceÁguas de Santo André, S.A. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Águas de Santo André, S.A. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Águas de Santo André, S.A. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Águas de Santo André, S.A. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Águas de Santo André, S.A. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Águas de Santo André, S.A.
What does Águas de Santo André, S.A. do?
Águas de Santo André (AdSA) operates as a vertically integrated water utility managing the complete water cycle in Portugal's Alentejo Litoral region. The company provides potable water supply via groundwater abstraction and distribution networks, industrial water supply from the Rio Sado to the ZILS petrochemical complex, wastewater collection and treatment (handling industrial, urban, and saline streams), and industrial waste management services through RESIM under a government concession regulated by ERSAR.
Is Águas de Santo André, S.A. a public or private company?
Águas de Santo André, S.A. is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Águas de Santo André, S.A. founded?
Águas de Santo André, S.A. was founded in 2001. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Águas de Santo André, S.A. based?
Águas de Santo André, S.A. is headquartered in Vila Nova de Santo André, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Águas de Santo André, S.A. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Potable Water Distribution is the primary driver. The others are industrial Water Supply, wastewater Treatment Services and industrial Waste Reception (RESIM).
Who are Águas de Santo André, S.A.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EPAL - Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres, Águas de Coimbra, SMAS de Sintra, Simtejo / Águas do Tejo Atlântico, Águas Públicas do Alentejo (AgdA) and Águas do Algarve. Broad incumbents are Aqualia (FCC Aqualia), Veolia Portugal (Veolia Environnement), Suez Water Portugal (Suez Environnement) and Acciona Agua.
Does Águas de Santo André, S.A. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Águas de Santo André, S.A..
What industry is Águas de Santo André, S.A. in?
Águas de Santo André, S.A.'s product category is Municipal Water Utility Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAG, Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration, with a secondary code of BPAIAMAE, Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater). Its NAICS code is 22131 and its SIC code is 4941.