Researchers at the University of Brasilia, who have been studying water reuse since 1996, support local projects with the aim of saving 60 percent of urban water consumption. The water used in baths and showers and kitchens is recycled to be used in sewage systems of the same building.

Reuse of so-called “gray” water reduces the use of water from aquifers, saves energy in water transport, and reduces contamination from liquid waste, says Marco Antonio de Souza, professor at the University of Brasilia.

Sao Caetano do Sul, a city of 140,000 people in the Sao Paulo metro region, is a pioneer in efforts to use recycled water for street cleaning and irrigation.

Big companies, like the state-owned Petrobrás, are following the cost-cutting example, as potable water has been a paid service in Brazil for several years.