About us

Our work philosophy

Mission

To implement and operate water supply and wastewater treatment systems, maximizing the sustainable use of water resources and contributing to our society and the environment.

Vision

To be the main reference in the national market in advanced water solutions, both in the public and private markets.

Values

“At GW we do the right thing!” For us, doing “the right thing” means being focused on having a transparent relationship with our customer and with our own organization. It means our energy to focus on solving problems. Above all, it means doing our best to serve our customer well. Transparency, creativity, initiative, focus and action!

History

Brazil has vast water reserves, with more than 12% of the planet’s fresh water in its territory. However, most of these resources are concentrated in the Amazon Basin, which makes the distribution of water throughout our country somewhat uneven. In addition, almost all urban development in Brazil has not been done in an orderly and planned manner, which has created major gaps in Brazil’s basic sanitation. The pollution of our springs, the overexploitation of aquifers and the absence of sewage collection systems are, unfortunately, the norm for many of Brazil’s municipalities. The sum of all these factors has led Brazil, and especially its large cities, to a state of constant water scarcity, which is reflected in increasingly higher water tariffs, water crisis and insecurity of supply.

Against this backdrop, General Water was founded in 2000 with the innovative concept of being Brazil’s first private water utility. Since then, GW has grown and established itself as one of the largest private sanitation companies in the country, and currently has around 140 large companies as clients in its portfolio.

The growing market demand for more sustainable ways of using water, as well as the increase in legal requirements and ESG practices, has encouraged GW to invest in the development of sewage treatment solutions and reuse water production.
A decade after creating this niche, we are the national benchmark in onsite effluent treatment and reuse solutions for the corporate market.

In all the projects, General Water implements and operates with its own resources, water supply systems and domestic or industrial effluent treatment systems for disposal and for the generation of reused water for non-drinking purposes.

All risks, costs and investments are assumed by GW, and the customer is only responsible for paying for the volume of water produced. For companies that use large volumes, water is a strategic input, vital for the sustainability of their operations.

As a result of its growth and consolidation in the market, in 2017, the company received a contribution from the Lightrock investment fund. Based in London, Lightrock is a global impact investor focused on growth capital that supports purpose-driven entrepreneurs facing the world’s biggest challenges. Lightrock invests in companies that pursue scalable, technology-driven business models around the key themes of positive impact over people, the planet and productivity. Lightrock’s portfolio includes more than 90 high-growth companies in 14 countries across Europe, the USA, Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Structure