Brazilian towns grapple with water supply disputes and free water model

In Feira Santana, Bahia, resident Raimunda Camila Paixão says her home has been without water for a week after the municipal utility Embasa accused her of an illegal connection. She denies the claim, saying, “Nunca fiz gato,” and alleges the employee cut the service without warning or documentation.

Meanwhile, the small city of Itapororoca in Paraíba has delivered water to households free of charge for more than six decades, relying on a natural spring in Parque da Nascença. Municipal officials warn that the lack of tariffs leaves the system without revenue, raising concerns about maintenance, consumption monitoring and the impact of a possible takeover by the regional water company Cagepa.