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Established in July 2023, the Center for Extension and Research in Water and Effluents (portuguese CEPAE) is committed to environmental stewardship and social responsibility, two pillars that unite to positively transform the region within the area of influence of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) - Lagoa do Sino campus.
We are a group dedicated to the triad of teaching, research, and extension, driven by a clear mission: to promote socio-environmental improvements through the restoration and development of fields related to sanitation and the environment. Among these fields, we highlight the treatment of liquid and gaseous effluents, as well as water treatment for supply, among others.
At CEPAE, we believe that science and innovation are powerful tools for building a more sustainable future. Join us in exploring the solutions and advancements we are developing to contribute to the quality of life and environmental preservation in our community.
teaching, Research and Extension AREAS
Drinking Water Supply
🚿 Water Distribution
🚰 Water Treatment
Water Pollution Control
🚾 Sewage Collection
♻️ Domestic and Industrial Sewage Treatment
Air Pollution Control
♨️ Treatment of Gaseous Effluents
PUBLICATIONS
For publications, please see: Publicações.
The English version is under construction.
PROJECTS
ONGOING PROJECTS 🕜
1. FAMILY FARMING AND BIODIVERSITY CONTRIBUTING TO THE PRODUCTION OF SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY FOOD
The project aims to strengthen sustainable family farming through the development and adoption of biological inputs, biodiversity-based innovations, and ecosystem service valuation. It addresses key challenges such as the high cost of microbial strains and culture media, limited product shelf life, quality control gaps, and the need for new agricultural technologies. The proposal includes the creation of a registered agricultural microorganism bank, low-cost bioinput production using agro-industrial residues, development of innovative formulations and new bioproducts, quality assurance tools and training programs, assessment of ecosystem services and carbon-related benefits, and the establishment of a digital observatory to support knowledge sharing and innovation management. By integrating biotechnology, environmental sustainability, and data science, the project seeks to enhance productivity, reduce environmental impacts, promote circular bioeconomy practices, and generate social and economic benefits for family farming communities.
Funding: FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos)
2. WATER ACCESS SOLUTIONS AND THE PROMOTION OF INDIGENOUS WELL-BEING IN THE PARATY MIRIM INDIGENOUS LAND
The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples formalized the Decentralized Execution Agreement (TED) No. 56/2025, under Process No. 15000.002004/2025-66, to support a university extension project aimed at developing solutions for improved water access and the promotion of Indigenous well-being in the Paraty Mirim Indigenous Land. The agreement is linked to Programmatic Action 20UF.0001 – Land Regularization, Protection, and Management of Indigenous Territories, with implementation from December 26, 2025, to December 26, 2026, and was signed on December 23, 2025.
Funding: MPI (Ministério dos Povos Indígenas)
3. WATER AND WELL-BEING IN THE JARAGUÁ AND TENONDÉ PORÃ INDIGENOUS LANDS, SÃO PAULO
The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI), in partnership with the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), established a Decentralized Execution Agreement (TED) to improve living conditions in Guarani Indigenous villages. The initiative, based on institutional cooperation and university extension activities, aims to strengthen access to essential services and support infrastructure solutions that promote Indigenous well-being. In this context, CEPAE/UFSCar works directly within Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), focused on ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for all, through technical and extension actions aimed at improving water supply and sanitation in Indigenous territories in coordination with public policies and community needs.
Funding: MPI (Ministério dos Povos Indígenas)
4. AN R SYSTEM FOR THE COLLECTION, INTEGRATION, VISUALIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND RELATED INFORMATION
Globally, biomes are at risk due to the pressure from human activities. In this context, understanding land use and occupancy patterns and their transformations is crucial for environmental diagnosis and the construction of conservation policies.In the era of Big Data, the volume of environmental data collected is increasing, and one of the great challenges for environmental researchers is to turn this large volume of data into useful information. In Geoinformatics, the traditional workflow involves repetitive and manual tasks, which can lead to errors, besides requiring the user to have specialized knowledge and various specific programs to handle images.Recently, our team has been working on projects for automating the workflow in environmental data analysis, eliminating repetitive tasks and human errors. The goal is to develop a platform in R language for loading, integrating, visualizing, and analyzing environmental and related data, concentrating the workflow in a single software.
Funding: CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico)
COMPLETED PROJECTS ✅
RURAL SANITATION FOR COMMUNITIES IN SITUATIONS OF VULNERABILITY
Sanitation is essential in rural areas, especially for communities facing socio-environmental vulnerability and limited access to basic services. Adequate sanitation systems, including access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment, improve rural living conditions and promote public health by preventing waterborne diseases. In this context, the objective of this ACIEPE (Integrated Curricular Activity for Teaching, Research, and Extension) is to engage undergraduate students from the Lagoa do Sino campus in field activities aimed at ensuring access to sanitation infrastructure for rural communities in the southwestern region of the state of São Paulo. (Funding: PROEX-UFSCar)SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND DIGNITY FOR COMMUNITIES IN SITUATIONS OF SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY
The project, developed as an ACIEPE (Integrated Curricular Activity for Teaching, Research, and Extension), aims to promote sanitation infrastructure and improve living conditions for rural communities facing socio-environmental vulnerability, emphasizing the importance of basic sanitation for public health, disease prevention, natural resource preservation, and poverty reduction. By ensuring access to safe drinking water and proper waste treatment, the initiative also contributes to the social, economic, and educational development of these communities while strengthening their resilience to climate change and the impacts of natural disasters.(Funding: PROEX-UFSCar)KNOWLEDGE CIRCLES: READINGS AND DIALOGUES ON THE RACIAL QUESTION AND THE AFRO-BRAZILIAN EXPERIENCE
This ACIEPE (Integrated Curricular Activity for Teaching, Research, and Extension) creates an interdisciplinary space for critical reflection on racial issues in Brazil, focusing on the Afro-Brazilian experience through discussion circles, guided readings, and meetings with researchers and practitioners in ethnic-racial studies. It aims to provide students at Federal University of São Carlos – Lagoa do Sino Campus with an academic and extension experience that fosters dialogue between academic and popular knowledge, contributing to an anti-racist, civic, and socially engaged education, supported by a collaborative group of faculty and students responsible for selecting readings and mediating discussions.(Funding: PROEX-UFSCar)TRAINING SUSTAINABILITY AGENTS: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROJECT OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF SÃO CARLOS (UFSCar), LAGOA DO SINO CAMPUS - CITY OF ANGATUBA
This extension activity aims to promote environmental education in the Angatuba region through a partnership between Federal University of São Carlos – Lagoa do Sino Campus and the Municipal Department of Education of Angatuba. Coordinated by professors from the Center for Extension and Research in Water and Wastewater (CEPAE) at UFSCar’s Lagoa do Sino campus, the project will involve UFSCar undergraduate students as the main agents, working directly with students from the municipal public school system. With the support of Professor Raoul Henry, from São Paulo State University, who conceived the project during its transition phase, the initiative seeks to enrich the education of municipal school students with essential environmental knowledge while also providing university students with indispensable practical experience. This collaborative effort between academia and public authorities aims to foster broad awareness of environmental preservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, generating positive and lasting impacts on the local community. (Funding: No funding)
LOW-COST ALTERNATIVES FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND WATER REUSE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHWEST SÃO PAULO
This extension project addresses inadequate sanitation conditions in Indigenous, traditional, and quilombola communities, highlighting gaps in effective public policies. The main objective is to implement low-cost, sustainable technologies for water and wastewater treatment tailored to vulnerable populations. The project is developed in three stages: adaptation to local conditions, community training, and implementation in a pilot Indigenous village, with potential for replication across other communities in the region. (Funding: PROEX-UFSCar)
SANITARY INFRASTRUCTURE IN INDIGENOUS, TRADITIONAL, AND FAMILY FARMING COMMUNITIES: ALTERNATIVE WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT TECHNIQUES
This extension project aims to address poor sanitation conditions in Indigenous, traditional, and quilombola communities in Brazil, reflecting the lack of effective public policies in this area. The proposal focuses on implementing low-cost, sustainable technologies for water and wastewater treatment to meet the needs of vulnerable populations. It is structured in three phases: adaptation of technologies to local conditions, training and capacity building, and implementation in a pilot Indigenous community, with potential benefits for other communities in the Lagoa do Sino region.(Funding: PROEX-UFSCar)
ALTERNATIVE LOW-COST SOLUTIONS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND WATER REUSE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHWEST SÃO PAULO
Inadequate wastewater treatment in rural Brazil poses serious public health and environmental challenges, requiring sustainable and accessible solutions. In collaboration with EMBRAPA, UFSCar has developed a partnership to address sanitation challenges in rural areas within the Lagoa do Sino campus region. The initiative focuses on implementing low-cost, sustainable sanitation technologies such as biodigester septic tanks (with reusable effluent potential) and constructed wetlands. This collaboration represents a joint commitment to environmentally responsible practices, aiming to improve sanitation, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance quality of life in rural communities.(Funding: PROEX-UFSCar)
"BEBEDOUROS" PROJECT: LAGOA DO SINO CAMPUS (UFSCar)
This project focuses on monitoring water quality on the campus to ensure the well-being of the academic community. It involves physicochemical and biological analyses to verify compliance with legal drinking water standards, ensuring safe and high-quality water for campus users. (Funding: PROEX-UFSCar)
COORDINATORS
Professor Beatriz Gonzalez holds both a Master's and a Doctoral degree in Hydraulic Engineering and Sanitation from the University of São Paulo (USP). She has completed postdoctoral training at the University of São Paulo (USP), the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), as well as a teaching licensure (Licentiate) in Chemistry. Her research focuses on water and wastewater treatment. Her main contributions lie in the development of microsensors and their applications in water and wastewater treatment systems. She is affiliated with several professional and technical organizations, where she contributes to sanitation working groups. Her teaching and technical activities are primarily focused on water and wastewater treatment technologies.
Professor Jorge Pantoja completed postdoctoral training at the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA) and holds a Master’s and a Doctoral degree in Hydraulic Engineering and Sanitation from the University of São Paulo (USP). During his doctoral studies, he participated in a short-term academic mobility program supported by Santander Universities (TOP USA), with academic experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Northeastern University, and Brown University. He also holds a bachelor's degree in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). He pursued undergraduate studies in Applied Mathematics and Scientific Computing at the University of São Paulo (USP) and is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Business Management at Getúlio Vargas Foundation (FGV). He has engaged with the MicroMasters Program in Statistics and Data Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research contributions include the development of the Aerobic–Anoxic Fixed-Bed Reactor and the co-development of the Ordered Anaerobic Fixed-Bed Reactor. He also served as a member of the team responsible for developing the Water Supply and Sewerage Master Plans for the Belém Metropolitan Region. He is affiliated with several national and international organizations, and other environmental and governance institutions. His teaching activities focus on applied hydraulics in sanitation systems.
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