Total water waste in Brazil could supply 77 million
A study that analyzes the environmental, economic and social impacts of inefficiency in controlling water losses in Brazil points out that the volume of water wasted in the country would be enough to supply around 77 million people.
According to the survey, the volume lost is more than double the number of Brazilians without access to water supply, estimated at around 33 million people.
The "Water Loss Study 2026: Challenges in the Efficiency of Basic Sanitation in Brazil" was prepared by Instituto Trata Brasil (ITB), in partnership with the consultancy GO Associados.
Water losses can occur throughout the supply process for a variety of reasons, such as leaks in distribution networks, measurement failures and unauthorized consumption.
The analyzes also indicate that reducing total losses from the current 39.53% to 25% would make it possible to save 2.8 billion cubic meters of water per year. This volume would be enough to supply approximately 17.2 million Brazilians living in vulnerable communities for two years.
In addition, the reduction in losses would increase the availability of water resources for the population without the need to collect water from new sources. The amount of water physically lost in 2024 is equivalent to the daily waste of around 4,800 Olympic swimming pools or 16.2 million water tanks intended for a family of five.
Performance by region
In the regional analysis between 2020 and 2024, the Northeast was the region that showed the greatest worsening in indicators, with an increase of 0.46 percentage points in losses. The North registered an improvement, with a reduction of 1.79 percentage points in the same period.
Among the 100 most populous municipalities in Brazil, only 12 were classified as excellent for presenting distribution loss rates of up to 25% and connection losses of up to 216 liters per day, simultaneously meeting the goals established by Ordinance No. 788/2024. Among the capitals that achieved this performance are Goiânia (GO), Teresina (PI) and Campo Grande (MS).
Considering only the Brazilian capitals, four of the 27 cities, namely Goiânia, São Paulo, Campo Grande and Teresina, recorded loss rates lower than the 25% target defined by Ordinance No. 788/2024. The average among the capitals was 39.30%.
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Given this scenario, the study concludes that water losses remain at high levels in Brazil and that improving the management and efficiency of distribution systems is fundamental to advancing the universalization of basic sanitation.
The Instituto Trata Brasil (ITB) was created in 2007 with the aim of contributing to the expansion of basic sanitation and the protection of water resources in the country.
*Under the supervision of Thiago Félix
Source: CNN