Manaus regulator orders suspension of sewage fees for unconnectable properties

The regulatory agency of Manaus, Ageman, has ordered the utility provider Águas de Manaus to suspend sewage availability fees for properties where technical and economic connection to the public sewage network cannot be proven.

Ageman's decision specifies that the mere physical presence of a sewage network in a street is insufficient to justify charging the fee. The company must demonstrate that a specific property has the actual conditions required to connect to the system. The suspension applies to various scenarios, including properties on streets without a public collector, units with negative thresholds, internal villages, back lots, and cases where gravity-fed connection is impossible.

Águas de Manaus has five business days from receipt of the notification to halt charges in qualifying cases. The company is also prohibited from unilaterally resuming billing or charging for previous periods until Ageman reaches a decision regarding the possibility of connection for those specific properties.