Water Supply
After the B1 Dam Breach in Brumadinho, the use of water from the Paraopeba river was
interrupted and Vale assumed a commitment, with the competent public authorities to guarantee
the water supply of all municipalities impacted by this measure.
Photo: Vale Archive
Our initiatives are divided into two fronts, which serve the public supply and the riverside
population
Emergency corrective actions
These are actions aimed at animal consumption, agricultural irrigation and human
consumption.
Structuring preventive actions
Those actions carried out to ensure water security and that usually involve works, in
order to promote improvement and adjustments in the public supply. They consist of the
drilling and reactivation of deep tubular wells, abstractions in surface water sources
and in the installation of water treatment systems.
Public supply
Click on the icons and know the actions
Access to water in sufficient quantity and quality is a human right. Therefore, we are working
with the implementation of several solutions for the supply of drinking water in the
municipalities that had withdrawal from the Paraopeba river.
Raw water reservoir in Paraopeba and Caetanópolis
Implementation of a water reservoir with a capacity of 700 thousand m³ as a
definitive alternative to the drilled wells and the surface withdrawal from the
Cedro stream to supply the municipalities of Paraopeba and Caetanópolis.
Photo: Vale Archive
New capture of Paraopeba river
Pipeline system measuring around 12 km deployed in the Paraopeba river in a
region not affected by the rupture with the capacity to operate with the same
flow as the previous withdrawal of 5,000 L/s. The purpose of this work is to
guarantee the water supply of the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte.
Photo: Vale Archive
Pará River Pipeline System
A pipeline system measuring around 50 km long with withdrawal from the Pará
river, which was not affected by the sediments of the B1 dam, for direct service
to the municipality of Pará de Minas. The structure's flow rate is 284 l/s, the
same volume that the municipality used to capture from the Paraopeba River
before the dam breach.
Watch the video to learn more
Photo: Vale Archive
Wells in Caetanópolis and Paraopeba
The water supply to the municipalities of Paraopeba and Caetanópolis is being
served through wells drilled and reactivated by Vale and complemented by the
surface withdrawal of the Cedro stream.
Photo: Vale Archive
Community Supply
Currently, Vale supplies the communities of Parque da Cachoeira, Tejuco,
Pontinha, Ponte das Almorreimas, Imperial and Boa Vista. The supply is carried
out by tubular wells or water trucks.
Photo: Vale Archive

Find out about the solutions being executed
So far, Vale has released a flow of:
204, 060, 040
liters/day for public supply
This equates to a city of
*Data on January 04, 2022, according flows granted
Supply for the riverside population
Distribution of drinking water to those who live on the banks of the Paraopeba River. This water
can be supplied by wells drilled or reactivated by Vale (structuring preventive actions) or by
means of a water truck or mineral water distribution (emergency corrective actions).
Volume of water supplied via water truck
Volume of mineral water provided to communities
*Data on December 30, 2021
Volume of water provided by wells drilled and/or reactivated
Agricultural use
* Data on December 10, 2021, according flows granted
So far, in total, Vale has provided
liters
Learn about the actions carried out by Vale in the Paraopeba River Basin
Understand the criteria for receiving water by the riverside population
Learn how water is distributed to the riverside population
Which municipalities receive water supplied by Vale?
Mouse over municipalities and see its location
Photo: Vale Archive
Treatment systems
Vale continues to work to improve the water quality of the Paraopeba river basin.
One of its actions is the installation of treatment systems to ensure quality water for the
population living in the locations between Brumadinho and the Três Marias reservoir. The
installation of the new treatment systems was based on an agreement made with the State Health
Department of Minas Gerais (SES/MG).
Structuring preventive actions in the Rio das Velhas Basin
Although it has not been impacted by the B1 rupture, the Rio das Velhas is receiving a
preventive investment. Get to know some actions:
Photo: Vale Archive
Photo: Vale Archive
Protection of withdrawal and ETA Bela Fama Reinforcement
The initiatives covered in the investment include the installation of a containment
barrier that surrounds the capture of Bela Fama, in Nova Lima. This barrier is about 3
meters high and 300 meters long and its works were completed in December 2019. In
addition to the barrier, Vale is also studying a complementary system for the Bela Fama
Treatment Plant, with the objective of reinforcing the system, increasing the efficiency
of current treatment processes and ensuring water drinkability.
Manifolds - Copasa water truck supply
Manifolds - Copasa water truck supply
Improvement works to guarantee the water supply, by means of water trucks,
to essential users whose daily consumption is less than 80 m³ of water, to
subnormal agglomerations, to vulnerable areas and to regions without
technical supply conditions of the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte
(RMBH) in case of hypothetical compromise in the water withdrawal of ETA
Bela Fama.
Photo: Vale Archive
Read more
RMBH supply contingency plan
RMBH supply contingency plan
The plan includes actions that should be implemented, if there is the
impossibility of raw water withdrawal in the Rio das Velhas due to any event
that compromises the supply in the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte
(RMBH).
Photo: Vale Archive
Read more
Pipeline system: piping or channel that conducts the water from withdrawal to the
treatment plant.
Cambimbe Pipeline System
Cambimbe Pipeline System
The installation of the pipeline system is a preventive action that
guarantees an alternative water collection for Nova Lima and Raposos in case
of water withdrawal in Rio das Velhas being compromised. The pipeline, which
will have about 4 km, will take the water from this point to the Bela Fama
Treatment Plant (ETA).
Photo: Vale Archive
Read more
Pipeline system: piping or channel that conducts the water from withdrawal to the
treatment plant.
Carlos Prates Pipeline System
Carlos Prates Pipeline System
Implementation of a 2 km long pipeline system in the Novo Glória
neighborhood in Belo Horizonte, which connects the water supply systems of
the Paraopeba River Basin to the Rio das Velhas Basin. The structure will
contribute to ensure an improvement in the current Copasa distribution
system and is designed to meet a flow rate of 320 l/s.
Photo: Vale Archive
Read more
North Vector
North Vector
Drilling and reactivation of wells belonging to Copasa in the municipalities
of Lagoa Santa, São José da Lapa and Vespasiano including the adjustments in
the distribution network to serve 81,000 inhabitants.
Photo: Vale Archive
Read more
Sabará Wells
Sabará Wells
Drilling of tubular wells in Sabará for the public water supply serving
about 50,900 inhabitants.
Photo: Vale Archive
Read more
Essential customers
Essential customers
Essential customers are those who carry out essential activities, as
stipulated in ARSAE-MG Resolution No. 68/2015. In this context, for
essential users who have water consumption above 80 m³ / day, an alternative
action will be implemented to guarantee supply, such as drilling wells,
supplementary reserve and redundancy works. The other essential users, with
consumption below 80 m³ / day, will be served by water truck.
Photo: Vale Archive
Read more
Water Security
In addition to the projects executed by Vale, the company is developing 5 (five) basic projects
of water safety works, which will be delivered to the water supply concessionaire for subsequent
bidding and contracting and aim to guarantee a demand corresponding to 15,000 l/s to supply the
Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte.
Click on the points to view
Contagem - Belo Horizonte
Interconnection pipeline system of reservoirs R10-R13
Mario Campos - Betim
Collection at Ribeirao da Prata
Bonfim - Brumadinho
Withdrawal from Ponte de Arame
Nova Lima - Rio Acima - Itabirito
Dam Project in the Macaúbas stream
Nova Lima - Raposos
Expansion of the Manso River supply system
Drag to the side to learn more about each project
Expansion of the Manso River supply system
We are developing studies and projects to ensure compliance with the current
water demand of RMBH corresponding to 15,000 l/s. One of the structuring
interventions is the expansion of the Manso River water supply system. The
projects include the expansion of capacity by approximately 55% of the Water
Treatment Plant - ETA Manso, and also the expansion of 4 elevators and water
pipeline systems.
Interconnection pipeline system of reservoirs R10-R13
The Conduct Agreement (TC) also includes Water Security the preparation of a
treated water pipeline project with approximately 30 km in length that will
interconnect two reservoirs, called R10 and R13 and increase the possibility of
transfer between the water systems of Paraopeba and the Rio das Velhas, which
will provide an increase in resilience for public supply of RMBH.
Dam project in the Macaúbas stream
Projects are being prepared for the implementation water withdrawal works in the
Macaúbas stream through the implementation of a dam, shrinkage and water supply
until the new withdrawal from the Paraopeba river. These interventions will
bring greater security for water reservation and continuity of public supply
especially in critical periods (drought).
Withdrawal from Ponte de Arame
Part of the scope of the Water Security TC consists of studies and projects for
the implementation of new water withdrawal in the Rio das Velhas, in the region
known as "Ponte de Arame". This new system will have the implementation of 1
run-of-the-river water withdrawal system in its first stage and later with the
implementation of a Dam. These projects will supply the Water Treatment Plant -
ETA Bela Fama through a pipeline system approximately 25 km in length. As the
1st Dam in the basin of the Velhas river for public supply, this project will
provide greater security for supplying the RMBH.
Withdrawal from the Ribeirão do Prata
In addition, the Water Security scope includes the withdrawal of water in the
Ribeirão do Prata, which includes the collection by water and a pipeline
extending approximately 9 km to the Bela Fama WTP.
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