Santa Catarina advances major water infrastructure projects

The municipality of Itajaí opened a new water‑treatment plant, ETA São Roque III, on 1 July. Built with a modular construction method and costing R$ 38.5 million, the facility raises the city's water‑production capacity by about 40 %, allowing up to 1,760 litres per second to be supplied to Itajaí and the neighboring city of Navegantes.

Separately, the Tribunal de Contas do Estado de Santa Catarina approved the licensing for the Botuverá dam on the Itajaí‑Mirim River. The R$ 152.9 million project will create a 40.8‑metre‑high structure 124 metres long, capable of storing 20.2 million cubic metres of water and releasing up to 250 m³ per second through two spillways. Officials say the dam will serve roughly 450 000 residents and help mitigate flood risks ahead of the expected El Niño rains.