Bogotá’s Water Supply and Sewerage Company invited prequalified companies to submit bids for the Canoas wastewater treatment plant, valued at around $1.5 billion, in a report published 30 October 2026 by BNamericas.
The project is intended to become Colombia’s largest wastewater treatment plant, with a reported average treatment flow of 16 cubic meters per second, equivalent to about 500 million cubic meters annually BNamericas.
Key takeaways
- The Canoas project is valued at around $1.5 billion and is described as Colombia’s largest wastewater treatment plant BNamericas.
- The selected concessionaire would finance, design, construct, commission, operate, maintain and transfer the plant BNamericas.
- The plant is designed to treat 70% of Bogotá’s wastewater and 100% of Soacha’s, benefiting around seven million inhabitants BNamericas.
- EAAB expects to award the contract in mid-2027 BNamericas.
What happened
The Bogotá Water Supply and Sewerage Company, EAAB, invited prequalified companies to submit bids for the Canoas wastewater treatment plant after the project received no-objection from the World Bank, which supported the structuring and oversight of the concession contracting process BNamericas.
The selected concessionaire will be responsible for financing, studies and designs, construction of the project units and social and environmental management, as well as commissioning, stabilization, operation, maintenance and transfer of the plant BNamericas.
Construction and operation will be co-financed by the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá, the Cundinamarca Regional Autonomous Corporation, the Cundinamarca Governor’s Office and the Bogotá Water Utility BNamericas. The prequalified bidder groups identified in the report are EPC Aguas Canoas, Unión PTAR de la Sabana, APCA PTAR Canoas and Promotora del Desarrollo de América Latina BNamericas.
The plant will be built near the Muña reservoir in Soacha and will treat 70% of Bogotá’s wastewater and 100% of Soacha’s, benefiting around seven million inhabitants BNamericas. It is expected to improve the physicochemical and biological conditions of the Bogotá River, which flows through 47 municipalities, irrigates 195,000 hectares of crops and contributes 8% of national energy demand BNamericas.
EAAB expects to award the contract in mid-2027 BNamericas.
Specification read
The reported average flow of 16 cubic meters per second converts to 1,382,400 cubic meters per day, or about 1,382 MLD, based on the flow stated in the source BNamericas. The same reported annual volume is approximately 500 million cubic meters of wastewater per year BNamericas. The source reports a service population of around seven million inhabitants, but it does not provide a population-equivalent loading value, so a PE-based design capacity cannot be calculated BNamericas. It also does not report inlet BOD, COD, solids, nitrogen or phosphorus concentrations; these remain the missing inputs for sizing individual treatment stages BNamericas.
For a plant at this municipal scale, the buyer’s treatment-train framework would normally cover screening, primary clarification, biological treatment and tertiary or disinfection treatment. This procurement bears directly on the integrated conveyance, biological treatment and reuse train, as well as the associated commissioning and operating package BNamericas.
The reported scope includes biogas cogeneration, reuse of treated wastewater, thermal drying of biosolids, digital modeling through BIM and artificial-intelligence-based instrumentation BNamericas. For broader equipment context, HydropureWater’s municipal wastewater solutions and DAF flotation systems cover equipment routes relevant to municipal plant scoping, although the source does not specify the process selected for Canoas.
If your plant looks like a large municipal wastewater facility with a flow near 1,382 MLD, a population served around seven million, significant receiving-water compliance pressure and an integrated concession scope, this is what it means for you: the bid packages financing, design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance and transfer as one concession, so supplier selection must align process performance, energy recovery, reuse and long-term operating obligations BNamericas.
FAQ
What is the reported value and expected award date for the Canoas wastewater plant?
The project is valued at around $1.5 billion, and EAAB expects to award the contract in mid-2027 BNamericas. The reported scope places financing, studies and design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance and eventual plant transfer with the selected concessionaire BNamericas.
What capacity will the Canoas wastewater treatment plant provide?
The reported average flow is 16 cubic meters per second, equivalent to about 500 million cubic meters per year BNamericas. It is intended to treat 70% of Bogotá’s wastewater and 100% of Soacha’s, benefiting around seven million inhabitants BNamericas. Individual treatment-stage capacities are not reported BNamericas.
Which suppliers and consortiums were prequalified?
The report identifies EPC Aguas Canoas, Unión PTAR de la Sabana, APCA PTAR Canoas and Promotora del Desarrollo de América Latina as the prequalified bidders in 2025 BNamericas. It lists the companies forming the first three groups but does not report their bid prices or technical scores BNamericas.
What process features are included in the Canoas project scope?
Reported features include biogas cogeneration, treated-wastewater reuse, thermal drying of biosolids, BIM digital modeling and artificial-intelligence-based instrumentation intended to improve operating efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint BNamericas. The source does not specify the biological process or individual equipment packages BNamericas.
