Aquapolo Ambiental

What Aquapolo Ambiental does

Aquapolo Ambiental operates the largest industrial water-reuse plant in Latin America, located in the ABC Paulista region of São Paulo, Brazil. Founded in 2009 and operational since 2012, the company captures sewage from Sabesp, treats it, and distributes recycled industrial water through a 17 km, 900 mm pipeline serving 9 industrial clients across 14 plants — including anchors such as Braskem, Paranapanema, Bridgestone, Hydro and Vitopel — at current dispatch of approximately 450 L/s against 1,000 L/s nameplate capacity and 35,000 m³ of emergency storage. Annual supplied volume is approximately 10.812 million m³, and cumulative supply since start-up exceeds 130 million m³. The asset is co-located with the Capuava Petrochemical Pole and broader ABC Paulista industrial cluster.

The treatment train combines a TMBR (Membrane Biological Reactor) with ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, complemented by a brewery-derived CO2 stream used as a carbon source for the biological stage and an AI platform that optimizes reactor performance using real-time analytical instrumentation. The technology stack supports reported 99.99% operational availability, 97% customer satisfaction, and 100% renewable electricity procurement since 2025, alongside integrated ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications. In 2023 Aquapolo also obtained a license to distribute non-potable reused water to urban and other non-industrial off-takers, materially broadening its addressable market beyond industrial use.

Aquapolo is controlled by GS Inima Brasil (part of the GS Inima Environment group), with Sabesp as a strategic shareholder. Pricing is usage-based (per cubic meter) under multi-year supply contracts with industrial customers, but unit prices are not publicly disclosed. The company employs approximately 47 people and has publicly committed to a 62% reduction in its carbon footprint by 2025 and carbon neutrality by 2033. Its competitive position rests on a permitted scarcity asset (the Sabesp sewage intake and the urban reuse license), heavy fixed infrastructure that is slow and expensive to replicate, and a corridor monopoly along its existing pipeline route.

Name

Aquapolo Ambiental

Legal name

Aquapolo Ambiental S.A.

Website

https://aquapolo.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aquapolo Ambiental operates Latin America's largest industrial water-recycling plant, supplying treated sewage from Sabesp via a 17 km pipeline to 9 industrial clients across 14 plants in Brazil's ABC Paulista region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water Reclamation Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Reclamation & Reuse Production (Tertiary/Advanced Treatment) (EUANADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advanced Treatment & Purification Utilities (MF/UF, RO, AOP, UV) (EUANAGAD), Industrial Water Reuse Utilities (ZLD/MLD & Process Water Recycling) (EUANAGAG), Industrial Wastewater Reuse (Cooling/Process/Boiler Feed) (EUANADAM)

Keywords

• Industrial water recycling
• Wastewater treatment services
• Tertiary water treatment
• Recycled industrial water
• Water utility services

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Recycled Water Supply: Aquapolo generates revenue by producing and supplying high-quality recycled water to industrial clients. The company treats sewage effluent from Sabesp's ETE-ABC and sells the recycled water to industries in the Petrochemical Pole of Capuava and along the pipeline route. The water is used for industrial processes such as steam generators, cooling towers, and heat exchangers. Revenue is generated through long-term supply contracts with industrial customers, with pricing based on volume supplied.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aquapolo Ambiental operates the largest recycled water production facility in Latin America, located in the ABC Paulista region of São Paulo, Brazil. The company treats sewage effluents from Sabesp using advanced TMBR (Tertiary Membrane Biological Reactor), ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis technologies to produce high-quality recycled water. The finished recycled water is delivered to industrial customers through a dedicated 17 km pipeline network.

Product overview

Aquapolo Ambiental operates as a single unified product business focused on industrial water recycling and reuse. The core offering is Recycled Industrial Water (Água Industrial Reciclada), produced through advanced tertiary treatment of sewage using TMBR (Tertiary Membrane Biological Reactor), ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis technologies. The company also offers an educational visitor program called 'Programa Aqua em Movimento' and has obtained licensing for non-potable urban water reuse applications. Water is distributed through a 17km pipeline infrastructure to industrial clients in the Capuava Petrochemical Pole and ABC Paulista region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Recycled Industrial Water (Água Industrial Reciclada) High-quality recycled water produced from treated sewage effluents using TMBR, ultrafiltration, and reverse osmosis, delivered to industrial customers in the ABC Paulista region via a 17 km dedicated pipeline. Target customers are petrochemical and heavy industrial enterprises seeking a reliable, sustainable alternative to freshwater intake.
• Non-potable Urban Water Reuse Service Licensed non-potable water reuse offering extending Aquapolo's recycled water capabilities from industrial supply to non-potable urban applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130 million cubic meters of recycled water supplied since operations began
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• COFIP ABC (Comitê de Fomento Industrial do Polo do Grande ABC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Aquapolo is a founding member of COFIP ABC, the Industrial Development Committee of the Greater ABC Petrochemical Pole.
• GS Inima BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009GS Inima Brasil is a major sanitation company and one of the largest water concession operators globally, belonging to GS Inima Environment. Aquapolo was acquired by GS Inima Brasil in 2019. GS Inima provides operational expertise, technology, and corporate governance including the Integrity Program that Aquapolo follows.
• Sabesp (Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Sabesp is Brazil's largest sanitation company serving 375 municipalities in São Paulo State with water for 28.4 million people and sewage for 25.2 million. Sabesp provides the treated sewage effluent (from ETE-ABC) as raw material for Aquapolo's recycled water production and is a shareholder in the joint venture.
• Major Brewery (Partner for Carbon Source)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation partnership with a major brewery where liquid residues from the brewing process are used as supplementary carbon source for biological treatment, enhancing treatment efficiency and reducing chemical usage.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Suez Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water treatment and reuse operator with extensive industrial water recycling capabilities. Comparable to Aquapolo as an established industrial water reuse utility with proprietary membrane/biological treatment technology, though Suez operates across many geographies and segments versus Aquapolo's single-asset focus.
• Veolia Water Technologies: World's largest water services company with deep industrial water reuse and recycling capabilities. Comparable on business model (industrial water reuse with advanced treatment) and on end-customer segments, though vastly larger and globally diversified versus Aquapolo's single São Paulo asset.
• ACCIONA Agua: Major global water treatment and desalination operator with industrial reuse projects. Comparable as a large-scale industrial recycled water utility using advanced membrane and biological treatment, with a similar B2B/utility business model to Aquapolo.
• Severn Trent: Major UK-based water utility with industrial water services and reuse initiatives. Comparable as an established regulated/industrial water utility with growing focus on water reuse and ESG-driven customer offerings, though serving UK/European markets.

Direct peers

• GS Inima Environment: Direct parent company of Aquapolo and one of the largest water concession operators globally. Most directly comparable peer given shared ownership, identical industrial water reuse business model, and overlapping geographic footprint in Latin America.
• BRK Ambiental: Former parent of Aquapolo (2016–2019) and one of Brazil's largest private sanitation operators. Directly comparable as a Brazilian B2B water/wastewater services provider to industrial and municipal clients, with overlapping customer base in the ABC Paulista region.
• Sabesp: Strategic partner and minority shareholder of Aquapolo; Brazil's largest sanitation company. Comparable as a São Paulo-based water/wastewater utility serving industrial and residential customers, with shared infrastructure and joint-venture relationship with Aquapolo.

Emerging players

• Fluence Corporation: Decentralized water and wastewater treatment specialist with industrial reuse applications. Comparable on advanced treatment technology (MABR/MBR) for industrial water recycling, though Fluence focuses on modular/smaller-scale deployments versus Aquapolo's centralized mega-plant model.
• IDE Technologies: Israeli water treatment specialist with industrial reuse and RO capabilities. Comparable on advanced membrane and RO-based water recycling serving industrial clients, though more focused on desalination and Middle East markets.

Others

• Ormat Technologies: Renewable energy and recovered energy solutions provider. Comparable to Aquapolo as a sustainability-focused industrial utility with 100% renewable energy positioning and circular economy model, though operating in geothermal/energy rather than water.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Aquapolo Ambiental