Gilson Barbosa Athayde Júnior,Claudia Coutinho Nobrega,Carmem Lúcia Moreira Gadelha,Mariana Medeiros Batista,Natalia Cibely Bezerra Santana, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Departamento de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, gilson@ct.ufpb.br
ABSTRACT
The usages of surface water nearby a decommissioned open dump in João Pessoa-Paraíba-Brazil were investigated by regular visits from March 2006 to September 2010. The following activities were identified: fishing, crustacean and shellfish catchments, primary contact leisure bath and discharge of sewage, leachate and solid waste disposal. Furthermore, social-economical questionnaires were applied to the people living nearby. Results showed that 43,1% of interviewed people stated that use the Sanhauá river water for fishing or crustacean or shellfish catchments; 43,7% said that use the river for primary or secondary contact leisure bath or navigation; 91,5% of interviewed people said that their houses were not attended with sewerage and so that the final disposal site for the sewage was the Sanhauá river. 1,0% of interviewed people said they use Sanhauá river water in their house, although it is not for human consumption. According to these usages and CONAMA Resolution 357/2005 and the water salinity, the Sanhauá river would be classified into class 1 for brackish water, as opposed to its present classification, class 3 for freshwater. Water quality is not compatible with standards for brackish water class 1 or class 2 and therefore the situation should be revised by governamental instances.
KEY-WORDS: water usages; Sanhauá river; Roger’s open dump.