Fenasan 2026: Business Opportunities in Brazil’s Water and Sanitation Sector

For international water and environmental technology companies, Brazil’s sanitation sector deserves attention beyond major infrastructure concessions. Equipment supply, digital monitoring and technical services are also routes worth evaluating. According to AESabesp, the Association of Sabesp Engineers, in the official “About the Event” and “Themes” pages for the 2026 edition, Fenasan — the National Sanitation and Environment Trade Fair — and the 37th AESabesp Technical Meeting take place from 20 to 22 October at Expo Center Norte in São Paulo, Brazil. The central theme, “AESabesp at 40: Connecting People, Knowledge and Innovation for Sanitation”, highlights the connection between technical expertise and innovation. One of PCREPS’s partners will attend the fair to engage with these discussions and meet companies considering the Brazilian market. Our contribution is to connect those business ambitions with a practical approach to establishing and managing a local presence. 

The business opportunities should be assessed against measurable operational needs. According to Brazil’s Ministry of Cities, in the “Relatório dos Serviços de Abastecimento de Água — SINISA 2025, ano de referência 2024”, total water losses in distribution reached 39.5%, including both physical losses and apparent losses associated with measurement and accounting. In the Ministry’s “Relatório dos Serviços de Esgotamento Sanitário — SINISA 2025, ano de referência 2024”, 55.4% of total households were served by a sewer collection network. These indicators point to different challenges: improving existing systems and extending service coverage. Consistent with AESabesp’s official 2026 “Temas”, international suppliers can evaluate leak detection, smart metering and automation, alongside wastewater treatment and reuse technologies. The commercial case must still be tested against each operator’s priorities, technical requirements and purchasing capacity.

The regulatory framework provides direction, not a guarantee of contracts. Article 11-B of Law No. 11,445 of 5 January 2007, as amended by Law No. 14,026 of 15 July 2020, requires service contracts to define universalisation targets for 99% of the population to receive drinking water and 90% to receive sewage collection and treatment by 31 December 2033, subject to the statutory qualifications. It also addresses reducing losses and improving treatment. For an international company, the practical question is how to serve that agenda: supplying an established operator, developing a local distribution and service network, or assessing an investment partnership. Public procurement requires a separate assessment of the contracting entity and tender conditions: Law No. 14,133 of 1 April 2021 and the state-owned enterprise framework in Law No. 13,303 of 30 June 2016 establish different regimes. This article provides general information and does not replace project-specific professional advice.

Technical credibility and a workable local business structure should be developed together. As described in the “Services” section of PCREPS’s institutional website, consulted in October 2026, PCREPS supports company formation, legal representation of foreign investors and non-resident directors, administration of subsidiaries and branches, and provision of a registered office address. Where relevant, representation in public tenders and coordination with our network of law firms, accountants and financial advisers can also support the entry process. This is corporate and administrative support, not a substitute for engineering, technical certification or regulatory approvals. For companies evaluating opportunities discussed at Fenasan, PCREPS offers a starting point for a structured conversation about operating in Brazil. Visit our institutional website and contact our team to discuss your plans. Business, Simplified.