The Minas Gerais State Audit Court concluded a conciliation round on Thursday between Copasa and the Association of Mineiro Municipalities. The deal will expand sewage collection and treatment services to 273 municipalities that currently have only water supply.
The session took place in Belo Horizonte with the participation of the Public Ministry of Accounts. The draft agreement will be submitted to the full TCE-MG court in the coming days.
Of the 273 municipalities, 224 have fewer than 11,000 inhabitants. Currently, 47 percent perform sewage collection without adequate treatment and only 9.8 percent carry out effective treatment.
The agreement postpones the start of sewage tariff collection until 2029, with phased investments. Depending on municipal adhesion, the Municipal Sanitation Fund could mobilize more than 350 million reais.
Copasa president Marília Melo said the understanding represents a decisive step toward universal sanitation by 2033. AMM president Lucas Vieira stressed the legal certainty and municipal autonomy to decide on adhesion.
