The Porto Alegre City Hall, capital of Rio Grande do Sul state (RS), was warned in 2018 about the risk of failures in the pumping system in the city center in case of Guaíba Lake flooding above the three-meter flood level.
The information was contained in a technical report prepared in September of that year by municipal employees.
The city's historic center, as well as much of RS, has been underwater for two weeks due to heavy rains. Over 150 people have died.
According to experts, the system designed to prevent floods did not function properly.
Folha had access to the document signed by two engineers from the municipal administration who pointed out the need to review part of the flood prevention system due to a possible "failure in protection."
The technicians referred to two pump houses designed to drain rainwater from the city center to the Guaíba River.
At the time the report was made, the mayor was Nelson Marchezan Júnior. In 2021, he was replaced by the current mayor, Sebastião Melo.