Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo

Profile narrative

Sabesp, also known as Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo, is a Brazilian utility responsible for the provision of water supply, sewage collection and treatment, and related basic sanitation services. It operates primarily within the state of São Paulo, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers across urban and rural areas. The company’s activities include capturing, treating, and distributing potable water, as well as collecting wastewater and conveying it to treatment plants before safe discharge or reuse. As a public entity, Sabesp plays a central role in implementing the state’s sanitation policies and ensuring compliance with national environmental regulations. Its infrastructure comprises an extensive network of pipelines, pumping stations, reservoirs, and treatment facilities that support daily water and sewage operations for millions of inhabitants.

Sabesp distinguishes itself as the largest water and sanitation utility in Latin America, a position reflected in its scale of operations and its mandate to expand universal access to services within São Paulo state. The utility is owned by the government of the State of São Paulo, with its shares traded on the Brazilian stock exchange under the ticker SBSP3, indicating a mixed public‑private ownership structure while the state retains controlling interest. In October 2024, the company confirmed a cyberattack that caused network instability, prompting immediate security measures and system restoration efforts; the incident did not compromise personal data and left core water supply and sewage operations unaffected, though customer service channels such as WhatsApp and chatbots experienced outages. Internal reports from employee unions described widespread system failures across commercial, customer service, and operational units for several days, leading staff to rely on external networks for limited functionality. While the company initially attributed the disruption to “external factors,” union accounts highlighted significant internal operational chaos, underscoring the challenges of maintaining resilient IT environments in critical infrastructure.

Incidents

1 incident linked to this organisation.