A polyethylene plastic bracket, to replace the stones and imported synthetic materials used in filtering sewage water, is poised to help Brazil overcome its sanitation problems. The use of polyethylene in filtration systems was developed by the Federal University of Minas Gerais's Sanitation Research and Training Center. It reduces costs and filters out more microorganisms than does the current system.

“This alternative can help expand sanitation and reduce the impacts of untreated drainage on the environment,” project coordinator Carlos Chernicharo told Tierramérica.

Fifty-seven percent of Brazilians lack drainage systems that include wastewater treatment, despite the fact that investments in the sector have increased 7.5 percent annually, according to a study by the Trata Brazil Institute and the Getulio Vargas Foundation.