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  • Hero Aegea

    AEGEA Saneamento e Participações S.A.

    AEGEA Prolagos Sewerage Master Plan 2041

    Região dos Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Project Summary

Project
Prolagos provides water and sanitation services for five municipalities in Rio de Janeiro's Região dos Lagos, where seasonal populations fluctuate from nearly 400,000 to over 2 million. Prolagos is a concession of AEGEA Saneamento e Participações S.A., which operates water sanitation and sewage treatment in Brazil. A BRL 570 million Sewer Master Plan 2041 was developed to expand sewerage coverage from 76 percent to 90 percent and eliminate contamination of Araruama Lagoon, the world’s largest hypersaline lake. The challenge was to optimize sewage investments for the highest possible return and benefit to the community.

Solution
AEGEA used Bentley’s SewerGEMS to create seven models of the new, a 900-kilometer sewage and drainage network, 63 sewage lifting stations, and seven treatment plants. The models incorporated GIS, CAD, and SCADA data to accurately reflect the complexity of the region. Designers used these capabilities to accurately understand the behavior of the sewerage and drainage systems, run what-if analyses, compare multiple scenarios for improving operational efficiency, and deliver nine different expansion scenarios for consideration.

Outcome
The designers used the models to make informed decisions, reduce the risks of the final plan, and ensure optimal energy usage. AEGEA determined that future network interventions could reduce untreated discharges by 6.6 cubic meters per year, lower energy costs by BRL 700,000 per year, and reduce investments by 60 percent compared to prior plans. Finally, the design allowed for the complete decontamination of the Araruama Lagoon, yielding social, environmental, economic, and tourist benefits.

Software
Prolagos designers used Bentley’s SewerCAD, SewerGEMS, WaterCAD, and WaterGEMS applications to develop the new sewerage plan. By integrating these applications with AEGEA’s operational control center, users easily simulated the impacts of alternative sewerage investment scenarios on operational efficiency, cost, and other variables. These products also helped the design team overcome communication challenges with stakeholders, particularly by visualizing data and multiple scenario comparisons.

Project Playbook: SewerCAD, SewerGEMS, WaterCAD, WaterGEMS
Outcome/Facts
  • Using Bentley software, designers built an accurate view of the entire sewerage system and can compare an unlimited number of what-if scenarios for faster, more informed decision making.
  • The design allows for the complete decontamination of the Araruama Lagoon, which will result in social, environmental, economic, and tourism benefits for the community.
  • Cleaner water will reduce public health costs, as the National Health Foundation estimated that Brazil saves four times in medical treatment for what is invested in basic sanitation.
Quote:

  • "Bearing in mind the shortage of available funds for infrastructure investments in Brazil, applications such as SewerGEMS can really make a difference in the optimization of investments bridging the existing gap in sewage infrastructure, thus promoting social inclusion and increasing people’s living standards."

    Wagner Oliveira de Carvalho Senior Project Manager AEGEA Saneamento e Participações S.A.