Auction yields R$4.25 billion in grants and includes R$19.2 billion in investments to universalize water and sewage in the State
The Pernambuco government granted water and sewage services in two micro-regions of the State to the private sector. The consortium formed by BRK Ambiental and Acciona, in addition to the management company Pátria, won the auction held this Thursday (Dec 18, 2025), in São Paulo.
The contracts total R$4.25 billion in grants and estimate R$19.2 billion in investments throughout the concession.
The model adopted by the State divides the territory into regional blocks and maintains Compesa (Companhia Pernambucana de Saneamento) as responsible for water production. Private concessionaires will purchase water from the state-owned company and will be in charge of distribution, in addition to sewage collection and treatment.
The largest block, the MRAE2 microregion, which brings together 150 municipalities, including Greater Recife, Fernando de Noronha and cities in Sertão do Pajeú, was purchased by the BRK-Acciona consortium. The group was the only one to present a proposal and offered a 5% discount on the basic tariff and a grant of R$3.5 billion.
The contract foresees R$15.4 billion in investments, of which R$6.4 billion in water and R$9 billion in sewage. Furthermore, the concessionaire will have to invest around R$320 million in works on the water production system, which will continue to be operated by Compesa.
BRK has been operating in the State since 2013, when it signed a public-private partnership for the sewage system in the metropolitan region of Recife.
The MRAE1 microregion, which covers 24 municipalities in the Sertão, including Petrolina, was won by the manager Pátria, which makes its debut in the sanitation sector. The company offered a 5% discount on the tariff and granted R$720 million.
The Sertão contract foresees R$2.9 billion in investments, of which R$1.05 billion in water and R$1.9 billion in sewage, in addition to R$453 million allocated to structural works, such as the expansion of the Oeste pipeline system and the integration between the municipalities of Petrolina, Afrânio and Dormentes.
Another 2 groups competed for the Sertão block. VPE Participações offered a 5% discount on the tariff and granted R$197 million. Aegea presented a proposal with a discount of 3% and an award of R$87 million, the minimum amount set out in the notice.
The auction judging criteria were hybrid, combining tariff discount, limited to 5%, and grant premium. According to the state government, the objective is to accelerate the universalization of sanitation, in line with the sector’s new legal framework, which establishes service targets until 2033.
