Company data
The T&D SustentĂĄvel numbers and the sectorâs
This page gathers the data behind the work: how much water Brazil loses before it reaches the tap, how far consumption falls at the operations T&D serves, and what has already been audited by a third party. For the company story, see About us.
Market context
How much treated water Brazil loses before it reaches the tap
In the most recent figure, for 2024, Brazil lost 39.53% of its treated water in distribution nearly four out of every ten litres, between leaks, metering errors and unauthorised use.
| Scope | Distribution losses |
|---|---|
| Brazil 2024 figure | 39.53% |
| Ceiling through 2025 | 35% |
| Ceiling from 2026 to 2032 | 30% |
| Ceiling from 2033 onwards | 25% |
The 2024 figure is above all three ceilings in the ordinance including the first, of 35%, which applied through 2025.
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4.4 billion mÂł
of treated water lost to physical losses in 2024
-
77 million
Brazilians could be supplied for a year with that volume
-
4,800
Olympic swimming pools wasted every day
-
4.5 times
the volume of the Cantareira reservoir system, over a year
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12 of the 100
largest cities already meet the target that only applies from 2033
Where that loss happens and where T&D works
The rate above measures the utilityâs network: the water disappears before it reaches your companyâs meter. After the meter a second loss begins leaks nobody sees, equipment out of calibration, consumption that lands on the bill with no known source. The first makes water dearer for everyone; the second your company pays for on its own. It is the second one T&D measures.
Open data, state by state
Where treated water is lost: the loss map, state by state
In 2024, 16 Brazilian states lost more than 40% of their treated water in distribution. Alagoas leads at 66.9%; PiauĂ is the only state already within the legal limit, at 24.61%.
| State | Distribution losses in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Alagoas | 66.9% |
| Roraima | 65.97% |
| ParĂĄ | 57.33% |
| MaranhĂŁo | 56.68% |
| Acre | 56.48% |
| Sergipe | 55.1% |
| Brazilian average | 39.53% |
| GoiĂĄs | 27.13% |
| PiauĂ | 24.61% |
| Legal ceiling from 2033 onwards | 25% |
The gap between the extremes is 2.7 times: a litre treated in Alagoas is almost three times more likely never to reach a tap than a litre treated in PiauĂ. It is not climate or geography it is the state of the network, of metering and of management.
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16 states
lose more than 40% of their treated water before it reaches families
-
2.7Ă
the gap between the worst and the best state rate (Alagoas and PiauĂ)
What this means for whoever pays the bill
Distribution loss is a cost of the system, and the cost of the system comes back in the tariff everyoneâs, your companyâs included. It is why a water bill goes up without consumption going up. What your operation controls is the other side of the meter: how much comes in, and how much of that becomes actual use.
T&Dâs own data
How far water consumption falls once T&D comes in
In the operation where the figures were audited by a third party Rede DâOr, in its Integrated Sustainability Report under the GRI standard water consumption fell 16.5%, with 260k mÂł saved across 40 hospitals.
| Operation or front | Consumption reduction |
|---|---|
| SEA 360Âș ceiling observed in the full programme | 70% |
| La Patria Café e BistrÎ reported by the client | 35% |
| Rede D'Or verified in a GRI report | 16.5% |
| TDRR average with remote monitoring alone | 10% |
The four values above are of different natures, and that is why they carry different marks: an outlined bar is an observed ceiling, a filled bar is a measurement at one specific client and a faded bar is an average. None of them is a promise of results the outcome of each operation depends on what the measurement finds there.
The number that T&D did not sign
T&D SustentĂĄvel appears as a structural part of the Water Efficiency Project of the largest private hospital network in the country. The figures were published by the network, in its own report, following the GRI standard not by T&D, in a sales deck.
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260k mÂł
of water saved
-
16.5%
lower consumption
-
40
hospitals served
RelatĂłrio Integrado de Sustentabilidade da Rede D'Or, padrĂŁo GRI, 2025.
Cumulative results
What has been saved so far
-
1.71B
Litres of water saved
-
60M
Reais saved by our clients
-
1.3B
Litres of effluent no longer generated
-
3.4k
Tonnes of COâ avoided
-
47cities
Present in 9 Brazilian states
-
30k
People made aware
Awards and endorsements
NÂș1 in the sector for 4 straight years
T&D SustentĂĄvel was named nÂș1 startup in Water and Sanitation in the 100 Open Startups ranking in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
- NÂș1 startup in Water and Sanitation 100 Open Startups ranking (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025)
- Selected for InovAtiva de Impacto
- Selected for IdeiaGov Government of the State of SĂŁo Paulo
- Accelerated by Startup Macaé and TEC Campos, in partnership with SEBRAE
Questions
Frequently asked questions about water losses and water efficiency
How far does water consumption fall with T&D SustentĂĄvel?
In the operation with figures audited by a third party, Rede DâOr, in a GRI report, the reduction was 16.5%, with 260k mÂł saved across 40 hospitals. Remote monitoring on its own delivers an average reduction of around 10%, and the full SEA 360Âș programme reaches 70% at operations with greater potential. The outcome of each operation depends on what the measurement finds there.
What is the water loss rate in Brazil?
Brazil lost 39.53% of its treated water in distribution in 2024, according to Instituto Trata Brasil, based on SINISA (base year 2024) from the Ministry of Cities. These are losses to leaks, metering errors and unauthorised use, occurring before the water reaches the consumerâs meter.
Which Brazilian state loses the most treated water?
Alagoas, at 66.9% of distribution losses in 2024. At the other end, PiauĂ records 24.61% and is the only state already within the legal limit. In all, 16 states lose more than 40%.
What is the legal target for reducing water losses?
Portaria MCID nÂș 788, de 1Âș de agosto de 2024, sets three distribution loss ceilings: 35% through 2025, 30% between 2026 and 2032 and 25% from 2033 onwards. It revoked and replaced Portaria nÂș 490, of 22 March 2021, and applies to municipalities benefiting from federal public funds or financing with Union resources.
Is distribution loss the same as waste inside the company?
No. Distribution loss happens on the utilityâs network, before the meter, and makes water more expensive for everyone through the tariff. Internal waste happens after the meter (undetected leaks, equipment out of adjustment, consumption with no known origin) and lands in full on the companyâs bill. It is this second one that T&D measures and reduces.
Where each number on this page comes from
The loss rates come from Instituto Trata Brasil, drawing on SINISA (base year 2024) from Brazilâs Ministry of Cities T&D cites that survey, it does not produce it. The consumption reduction percentages are T&Dâs own measurements at the operations it serves, and the Rede DâOr case is published in the networkâs own sustainability report, under the GRI standard.
Free assessment
Want to know how much your operation is losing?
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- Analysis by a water management specialist
- Implemented with no construction work and without stopping the operation
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