Following Olympics, Questions About Rio's Sewer Promises

There was growing concern in the months leading up to the Rio Olympics around Brazil’s water quality. Now that the games are over, the world will see if the country is serious about improving things.

Awareness that the country had not met quality goals in their initial bid had been well known for some time, according to Business Insider. Plus the fact that athletes would probably be swimming in water contaminated with untreated human sewage.

According to The New York Times, Brazil’s government has promised reform in order to address the waste that inhabits Rio’s beaches and oceans.

Environmentalist and scientist have openly said that Rio’s waters are far worse than previously reported, the Times noted.

Tests completed by the government and independent scientists showed an abundance of pathogens in many of the city’s waters that can cause such problems as diarrhea and vomiting.

The Washington Post reported that Rio had initially planned an initiative to address the contamination issue as part of their 27 “legacy projects,” but locals had their doubts.

The idea behind the project was to construct a sewer network for 1.7 million people in Rio’s western zone, where waste is flushed untreated into storm drains, according to The Washington Post.

Residents, however, have complained that the $80 cost to connect to the system is a bit steep. Though the network has reached more than 19,000 homes, “only one-fifth of them have actually connected to the system,” the Post reported.

According to The Washington Post, residents are unsure of the project and fear being billed for sewage services but never seeing an outcome for what they were paying for.

Recently, Evi Van Acker, became the first Olympic competitor to fall sick after going through the polluted waters of Rio’s Guanabara Bay.

The Associated Press reported that Van Acker’s coach believed that she obtained an intestinal infection while training in Rio last month.

"Evi caught a bacteria in early July that causes dysentery," coach Wil Van Bladel told the AP. "Doctors say this can seriously disrupt energy levels for three months. It became clear yesterday that she lacked energy during tough conditions. She could not use full force for a top condition ... The likelihood that she caught it here during contact with the water is very big."

To read more about sewer networks visit Water Online’s Sewers And Sewer Line Maintenance Solutions Center.