USTDA Helps Improve Efficiency at New Water Treatment Plant in Brazil

(The Exporting Source) Project Will Promote the Inclusion of U.S. Technologies in Plant's Design Plans

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to help the Companhia Estadual de Águas e Esgotos (CEDAE), the primary water supplier and wastewater collection and treatment company in Rio de Janeiro, design and develop the New Guandu water treatment plant (WTP). The grant represents the Agency's commitment to supporting U.S. industry participation in Brazil's dynamic water and wastewater sector.

"The United States is pleased to support this project, which will highlight the benefits of U.S. water treatment technologies while helping CEDAE improve access to clean water for the people of Rio de Janeiro," stated John S. Creamer, Consul General of the United States in Rio de Janeiro. The grant was signed by Consul General Creamer and by Wagner Granja Victer, President Director of CEDAE.

CEDAE estimates that the New Guandu WTP and accompanying system expansions are the largest undertaking in Brazil's water supply sector in the last 20 years. CEDAE will construct a new 548 million gallon per day facility that will expand the existing system's capacity by 30 percent, improving service to about nine million people in 12 cities across the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. New Guandu will complement the operations of the existing Guandu WTP, which is considered to be the world's largest continuously operating water treatment plant.

Through the grant, CEDAE will select a U.S. contractor to conduct a value engineering review of the preliminary design for the new facility. The U.S. contractor will assess the existing design report and suggest advanced U.S. technologies that can improve the efficiency of the new plant's operations, such as ozone, mixed oxidants, ultraviolet disinfection, membrane filtration, energy recovery processes, and energy efficiency equipment like integrated variable frequency drives.

The opportunity to conduct the USTDA-funded technical assistance with CEDAE will be competed through Federal Business Opportunities (FBO). A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA's website at www.ustda.gov. Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions in the FBO announcement.