Camargos will be the first district in Mariana, Minas Gerais, to have 100% coverage of a sewage treatment system. The initiative is the result of a proof of concept carried out by Samarco with the startup Lia Marinha, through Mining Hub, and with the community and public authorities. In April 2024, the company delivered the first Natural Effluent Treatment Plants (ETNs) installed in 18 residences in the district, covering 30% of the homes. Based on the positive results, the project is expanding to reach the entire district by 2025.
With investments of R$ 2 million, the initiative is aligned with Samarco's purpose of contributing to the socioeconomic development of the communities neighboring its operations. "Basic sanitation is essential for the healthy development of a community. By listening to the residents through ongoing dialogue, we were able to understand their needs and seek an appropriate solution that benefits not only the population of Camargos, but also visitors who seek the region's natural attractions, who will be able to bathe in the stream and waterfall with clean water,” says Guilherme Louzada, Samarco's specialist in Social and Institutional Relations.
One of the first to benefit from the project, resident and fish farmer Élcio Cruz Homem says that his life and business have been completely transformed by the initiative. “I have biowells for raising fish and with the sewage treatment system, we have gained in health and in improving the quality of the products I sell. We only have something to gain! The benefit we have had was huge,” he celebrates.
The solution allows for decentralized sewage treatment, close to the homes of community residents, saving money on long pipelines and the need for a centralized treatment plant, which has high operating and maintenance costs. The structures use the phytoremediation technique – which consists of using natural filters with native plant species that reduce organic and inorganic contaminants present in the water, without the need for chemical products, in addition to not requiring the use of electrical energy.
Shared management
The operation of the ETNs is monitored with the participation of the community, through the collaborative digital platform OlhaÁgua, which connects residents where the structures are installed with public and private organizations participating in the project.
“Monitoring allows us to map failure and risk events for assessment, diagnosis and solution”, explains the director of the startup Lia Marinha, Willian Fernando de Almeida Pessoa. He also says that in the future, the database that is being generated at the treatment plants could, for example, be used to generate public policies for rural populations.
In the project's Proof of Concept, water quality indicators were established in accordance with environmental legislation standards, such as Conama Resolution 430, which deals with the release of liquid effluents. The tests carried out proved the efficiency of the technology implemented in the treatment of sewage.
Success story
The development of a technology for the treatment of domestic sewage for the community of Camargos, supported by Samarco, was presented at the 2nd International Congress of Open Innovation Cases, in São Paulo, in May of this year. The case was also presented at Exposibram 2024 as an innovative solution.
Photos: Élcio Cruz's personal archive
