🐟 São Paulo's river was an open sewer – after major cleanup life returns to the water

• The Novo Rio Pinheiros program has installed 280 kilometers of sewage networks and given more than 7,000 households access to basic sanitation.
• Two million residents have stopped dumping sewage into the Pinheiros River, and 173,000 residents along the Zavuvus stream now have clean water.
• The project has created new income opportunities for women and waste workers in the affected areas.

An investment of over 330 million dollars

The Vila das Pratas neighborhood is located in the Cidade Ademar district in southern São Paulo, an area with one of the lowest Human Development Index scores in the city. Previously, the Zavuvus stream ran through the area as an open sewer.

The Novo Rio Pinheiros program is an investment of more than 330 million dollars to clean up the Pinheiros River, which runs through 25 kilometers of São Paulo. The program is run by the São Paulo State Government through the Department of Infrastructure and Environment and executed by the São Paulo State Basic Sanitation Company (Sabesp) with financial support from the International Finance Corporation.

The work began with the Zavuvus stream, located next to a road that carries more than 350,000 vehicles per day and serves as the city's first connection point to the Pinheiros River.

280 kilometers of sewage network installed

The cleanup work began in 2019. By the end of 2022, a 280-kilometer sewage network had been installed. The result is that two million residents have stopped dumping sewage into the Pinheiros River.

Along the Zavuvus stream, which stretches 7.8 kilometers, 173,000 residents in the southern neighborhoods now have access to sewage-free water. More than 7,000 households in the region now have basic sanitation.

In total, more than 650,000 properties have benefited directly or indirectly from the program. In Vila das Pratas, where about 25,000 people live, 7,800 properties have been included in the project.

The river meets environmental targets

The program's goal was for biochemical oxygen demand not to exceed 30 milligrams per liter. This target has been achieved along the entire Zavuvus stream, according to a 2022 survey. Biochemical oxygen demand is one of the most important measures for assessing organic pollution and shows how the river absorbs oxygen at the surface.

The program has also cleaned 25 streams that flow into the Pinheiros River. Fish have returned to waterways that were previously too polluted to support life.

Reduced poverty and improved public health

Improved infrastructure impacts poverty reduction, public health, and the environment of the city as a whole. Residents who previously had open sewers outside their homes now have access to functioning sanitation.

Previously, the areas experienced recurring flooding when it rained. Water from the stream and sewage would then overflow into homes. The channeling of the stream, carried out in collaboration with the local district office, has eliminated the flood risk.

New income opportunities

The program has created economic opportunities through the Women of Sanitation project, which employed women from the affected areas for environmental awareness work during the project's implementation.

Waste picker cooperatives received training as well as protective and safety equipment, which increased their incomes as part of the program's social initiatives.

With the cleanup complete, the riverbank is more attractive and draws outdoor and tourism activities. Cyclists now use the 21-kilometer bike path along the river with cleaner air.

Educational initiatives and community services

Educational initiatives have been carried out in Vila das Pratas since 2019, including the installation of a library built from a refrigerator and reading projects for children.

In Vila Joaniza, another community along the Zavuvus stream, a community center has been renovated with support from the program. The center serves hundreds of seniors each month with activities such as dance, crafts, English lessons, and literacy classes.

Previously, the center had extensive leaks that made operations difficult to run. The renovation was carried out over one year and dance classes for seniors have resumed every Saturday.

Students in the center's programs previously missed classes when it rained because they could not cross the flooded stream. After the cleanup, attendance has improved as the flooding has stopped.

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