Empresa Metropolitana de Águas e Energia S.A.

The Elevatory Power Station of Pedreira was inaugurated during 1939 with the start of the operation of unit 4, the first reversing unit in the world under commercial operation. This means that it had the ability to function as an energy production unit, or as a pump. The remaining units were installed after that time, and currently they total eight units, seven reversing units and one that works only as a pump. All eight units are equipped with

Step Up Plants
To increase the generation capacity of Henry Borden Power Plant , the following works were performed during the 30's: rectification and reversion of the Pinheiros River, creation of the Billings Reservoir, construction of the step up plants of Pedreira and Traição.

Francis turbines, with rotors, powered by synchronous motors. The waters of the Pinheiros Channel go into the Billings Reservoir through this plant , which current pumping capacity is 395 cubic meters/s, stepping up the water level in approximately 25 m. According to the Joint Resolution SMA/SES 03/92, updated by the Resolution SEE-SMA-SRHSO-I, dated 03/13/96, the waters of the Pinheiros Channel cannot be pumped continuously to the Billings Reservoir anymore. This pumping operation is performed only when the flow rate caused by heavy rains increases the level of the waters of the Pinheiros and Tietê rivers, with the risk of causing floods in the area.