Cosanpa carries out cleaning in the Bolonha and Água Preta lakes
Water sources are essential for supplying more than 1 million people in Belém and the Metropolitan Region
The Companhia de Saneamento do Pará (Cosanpa) is carrying out cleaning in the Água Preta and Bolonha lakes, essential for supplying more than one million residents of Belém and the Metropolitan Region. This action is part of the strategic planning of the Operations Directorate, which aims to ensure water quality from capture to distribution.
With the support of machines and small boats, specialized technicians remove macrophytes — aquatic plants that, although they play an important role in the natural purification of water and biodiversity, can harm the flow of capture and water quality when they grow uncontrollably.
The procedure begins with the team in the water, using steel cable barriers and floating buoys to group the plants. These batches are cut and taken to the shore, where an excavator or suction system removes the material, which is directed to drainage areas, allowing the water to return to the lake. This year, approximately 9,615 cubic meters of macrophytes have been removed.
According to Isaac Serruya, Manager of the Service Unit for Control and Loss Reduction (USRP) of Cosanpa, it is common to encounter animals during operations, which are returned to nature. “Most of the animals found are fish, frogs, snakes, and even small caimans. We call in biologists, who carry out all necessary procedures for the safety of these animals. After that, the Environmental Police Battalion is called to release them in other areas of the Utinga park,” the manager emphasized.
About the water sources - Water from the Guamá River is captured, pumped, and directed to the Água Preta lake, which, in turn, flows by gravity to the Bolonha lake. Both lakes are located within the Utinga State Park (PEUt). The Bolonha lake has an area of 577,127 m² and a volume of 1,954,000 m³, while the Água Preta covers an area of 3,116,860 m² and has a volume of 9,905,000 m³.
Responsible for supplying more than 70% of the population of the Metropolitan Region of Belém, these water sources represent an extremely important water resource for maintaining the quality of life in the region. "Our commitment is to ensure the quality of the water that supplies more than one million people in Belém and the Metropolitan Region. With cleaning actions and care for the water sources, we seek to preserve these essential resources for our community," emphasized the president of Cosanpa, José Fernando de Mendonça Gomes Júnior.
