Water withdrawal

The organization collects, consumes and disposes of water in its operations based on criteria of efficiency, sustainability and regulatory compliance. All activities are conducted in accordance with the grants of the National Water and Sanitation Agency and the State Environment and Sustainability Department, ensuring the legal, controlled and sustainable use of water resources. 

The main source of withdrawal is the Xingu River, whose waters are used both for human consumption and for production processes related to energy generation and operational maintenance.  

Water for human consumption in the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Power Complex is treated at the water treatment units of the Belo Monte and Pimental HPPs, in line with Ordinance GM/MS No. 888/2021. Water collection is monitored by water meter readings. For the offices in Altamira (PA) and Brasília (DF), water is supplied by municipal concessionaires. In the Vessel Transfer System, water is collected through a deep tubular well and treated before distribution. The volume is estimated according to ABNT NBR 5626. 

Water collection by source (ML)

Note 1: all water collected is fresh water and there is no collection in areas of water stress. 

Note 2: For the estimated calculation, the following were considered: 

– Water flow: ABNT NBR 5626 standard was adopted – Requirements for design, execution, operation and maintenance of cold water and hot water building systems. This technical standard assumes that each person consumes 150 L of water/day. 

– Total number of workers: a survey was carried out on the number of workers in each Norte Energia office. In the administrative offices of Perimetral, Tancredo, Jatobá – in Altamira (PA) – and the headquarters in Brasília (DF), the data was provided by the Company’s People Superintendence. 

For each office, the formula was applied that considers the total number of workers per month multiplied by consumption per person per day (NBR 5626) + 25% (representing the fluctuation of workers per office). The volume found in liters was converted to cubic meters.