Brazil's sanitation firms adopt digital diagnostics and drone mapping in 2026

The Technical Innovation Chamber of the Brazilian Association of State Water Companies (Aesbe) held a virtual meeting on 31 May to advance its partnership with the Inter‑American Development Bank (IDB). The collaboration will use the AquaRating methodology, applied by consultancy Elogroup, to conduct maturity diagnostics of innovation and digital transformation across state, municipal and private water utilities. The pilot aims to refine the tool for Brazil’s sanitation sector and identify improvement opportunities.

Separately, Carioca Engenharia received the 7th InovaInfra award for a drone‑based photogrammetry system used on a wastewater treatment plant. Engineer Diego Souza explained that periodic drone flights generate high‑resolution 3‑D models and georeferenced point clouds, which are integrated with BIM to create a digital twin of the project. The approach reduces manual measurements, improves on‑site monitoring and supports long‑term asset management.