Sabesp Expands Safety Overhaul After New Central São Paulo Gas Leak

Overview

• A Sabesp maintenance crew struck a gas pipeline on Thursday night in Rua Dr. Teodoro Baima, central São Paulo, causing a leak that Comgás crews and firefighters isolated and contained without new fatalities.
• The June 4 leak follows a deadly May 11 explosion in Jaguaré in which a Sabesp work hit a gas line and two people died, prompting the company to pause some works and review procedures.
• Sabesp has announced a three‑pillar safety plan that includes stronger engineering protocols, a tripling of field inspectors from about 200 to 600, and a commitment to 24‑hour centralized monitoring of all works by the end of 2026.
• State regulator Arsesp launched a three‑month force‑tarefa to tighten oversight of shared works and issued immediate guidance to improve coordination among concessionaires after multiple recent incidents exposed shared‑network risks.
• New technical measures require enlarging the 'zone of attention' near gas lines from 1m to 3m, mandatory georadar scans, more sondagens and visual trenches, and gas detectors on work fronts to reduce risks from outdated or poorly mapped underground infrastructure.