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Project without sewer connection in Brazil: how to start.

In Brazil the law allows individual solutions where there is no public sewer system, provided they comply with environmental, health and water resource regulations. Which procedure applies depends on the state, the municipality and where the treated water will go. With the basic data on the site and the project, we carry out an initial assessment; the final solution is then developed by a professional licensed in Brazil. This page is general guidance and does not replace legal advice.

Legal framework reviewed on 5 October 2026
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Common practice today

What exists in Brazil where there is no sewer connection.

More than a third of Brazil's population, around 76 million people, live without a connection to the sewer system (esgoto).

What AQUATO does differently

Legal framework

What applies in Brazil.

  • Law 11,445/2007, art. 45 § 1º

    Where there is no public network, individual solutions for the disposal of wastewater are permitted, provided they respect the rules of the regulatory body and of the environmental, health and water resource authorities.

    Source: Law 11,445/2007, Planalto

  • CONAMA Resolution 430/2011, arts. 2 and 21

    Disposal into the soil must not pollute surface water or groundwater. For discharging wastewater into a river, limits apply such as a BOD of 120 mg/L or 60% removal. In September 2026 the CONAMA plenary approved a new standard that repeals it; it is advisable to check which version is in force.

    Source: CONAMA Resolution 430/2011

  • Law 9,433/1997, art. 12

    Discharging wastewater into a body of water requires a water use permit (outorga), except for discharges considered insignificant.

    Source: Law 9,433/1997, Planalto

  • Environmental licence: CONAMA 237/1997 and LC 140/2011

    Potentially polluting activities require an environmental licence. The municipality licenses activities with local impact according to the list of the state environmental council; the state licenses the rest.

    Source: Complementary Law 140/2011, Planalto

  • Standard ABNT NBR 17076:2024

    Technical standard for treatment systems of up to 12,000 L/day in areas without a network. It replaces NBR 7229 and 13969 and provides for testing the units for 12 months under real operating conditions.

    Source: Revista DAE (journal), 2025

The route

From the site to the approved plant.

The usual sequence, from the site to the plant in operation. Each state and municipality has its own procedure.

  1. 01

    Basic data and preliminary assessment

    Using the checklist below, Ektennsa and AQUATO look at the capacity, which system suits the project (PUMP, STABI-KOM or ORKA), where it goes and where the treated water will be discharged.

  2. 02

    Authority and procedure

    The prefeitura (city hall) or the state environmental agency clarifies which procedure applies: licence, simplified licence or exemption.

  3. 03

    Design with a responsible engineer

    A licensed professional prepares the design according to NBR 17076, using AQUATO's technical documentation, and signs it with their ART (technical responsibility record). They define where the water goes: infiltration into the soil or discharge into a river with an outorga.

  4. 04

    Installation and operation

    The plant is installed, commissioned and maintained with the checks set by the authority.

To get started

This information is enough for an initial assessment.

Leave blank anything you do not have yet. Nothing more is needed to get started.

  • Location

    State, municipality and address of the site

  • Site

    Area and space available for the plant

  • Project

    Type of project and number of homes or units

  • Users

    Normal and peak occupancy, or approximate daily flow

  • Sewer system

    Is there a public network nearby, one planned, or none?

  • Ground conditions

    Soil type, percolation test and water table level

  • Responsible engineer

    Is there already an engineer or architect registered with CREA or CAU?

  • Treated water

    Infiltration into the soil, reuse or discharge into a river; if a river, its name

First step

Tell us what you want to develop.

With the basic details of the site and the project, Ektennsa and AQUATO carry out an initial assessment.

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or directly: WhatsApp · contacto@ektennsa.com