Brazilian state selects consortium to prepare waterworks concession

The government of Brazil's Rondônia state has selected a three-party consortium to plan a waterworks concession model as part of the country's investment partnerships program PPI, a spokesperson from national development bank BNDES told BNamericas.

The local consortium is made up of consultancy firm Bain Brasil, construction company Conen Consultoria e Engenharia and the law offices of Lacaz Martins, Pereira Neto, Gurevich e Schoueri Advogados, the official said.

Basic water and sewerage services are currently provided by state water utility Caerd. Located in the north of the country along the border with Bolivia, Rondônia has a population of approximately 1.7mn.

The concession model will be one of 18 at state level being prepared in Brazil in coordination with the development bank. Once the models are ready, tenders will be called to form public-private partnerships.

According to the bank's schedule, tenders for 11 state waterworks concessions should be launched by the second quarter of 2018, for Alagoas, Amazonas, Maranhão, Pará, Pernambuco, Rondônia, Sergipe, Acre, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and Santa Catarina.