Property that is within the PSA coverage area in Piracicaba Piracicaba City Hall In 2025, a single rural property in Piracicaba received the amount of R$ 106,407.70 from the municipality's coffers. The reason? The owners were rewarded for preserving the native forest, taking care of the soil and disposing of the local garbage correctly. The transfer is the highest amount ever paid by the Municipal Payment Program for Environmental Services (PSA) since it was instituted in 2018. The objective of the municipal program is to guarantee the production of water to supply the city, paying for the owners of rural properties to preserve the environment in four priority micro-watersheds (understand below). ? Click here to follow the g1 Piracicaba channel on WhatsApp The property that received the most was a 459.27 hectare farm and is located in the Ribeirão Congonhal Microbasin. According to the city hall, the owners were entitled to more than R$100,000 for proving the provision of three main environmental services: Native forest: protection and conservation of 49.38 hectares of vegetation; Soil conservation: application of conservation practices on 293.32 hectares, including use of contour lines, terracing, vegetation cover and crop rotation; Sanitation: correct disposal of all solid waste generated on the property. Contours or terraces in a pasture area in APA Guariroba ARCP/Disclosure About the program According to the city hall, there was a study by the Municipal Water and Sewage Service (Semae) that identified four micro-basins that have greater potential for water supply for the municipality. They are: Ribeirão dos Marins, Congonhal, Córrego Tamandupá and Paredão Vermelho (see below). Piracicaba watersheds and priority watersheds for the PSA Piracicaba City Hall With this, the city hall makes an annual payment to owners who preserve the vegetation, conserve the soil and carry out environmental sanitation, in addition to improvements for the environmental suitability of the property. All of this influences the production capacity and water quality of the micro-watersheds in which the properties are located. In 2018, when the program began, 12 properties participated and the city invested R$48,000. From then on to 2025, the number of participants increased to 20 and the total amount allocated was R$305 thousand. Payment for Environmental Services in Piracicaba Where does the money come from? To date, the program is entirely financed by municipal resources, according to the city hall. However, the law allows the PSA fund to receive money from other sources, such as criminal transactions, environmental compensations, Terms of Conduct Adjustment (TACs) and even public or private donations. How to participate in the PSA The PSA is managed by the Municipal Department of Agriculture, Supply and Environment. Joining the program is voluntary. To receive payments, producers who own land in priority micro-basins must register an environmental project on the City Hall website. The site undergoes document analysis and technical inspection before the transfer is approved. The amount transferred is established by legislation and varies depending on the type of environmental service provided and its scope. Aerial image of the Paço Municipal de Piracicaba building Piracicaba City Hall Next steps Currently, a partnership with the PCJ Committees has already obtained the agreement of 52 new rural landowners, who are now waiting to raise funds to carry out environmental studies, informed the city hall. Furthermore, to improve the program and understand what attracts or deters the participation of landowners, the City Hall entered into a partnership with the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture at the University of São Paulo (Esalq/USP) to develop academic research focused on this public policy. The city hall also informed that family farming and small properties now have priority in the distribution of available resources and the remainder will be proportionally distributed among other properties in accordance with decree no.