Water quality for human consumption in semi artesian wells in the city of Lábrea/AM

Abstract

The disorderly urban growth of cities results in the contamination of surface water and groundwater. In Brazil, one of the main sanitation challenges is to make drinking water available to the population. In view of the above, the aim of this study was to assess the quality of water for human consumption in the municipality of Labrea/AM. Six (6) sampling points were selected in different locations in the urban area of the municipality of Labrea, including two (2) municipal water distribution wells and four (4) household wells. After the physical-chemical and microbiological analyses, the following parameters were determined: temperature, turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, BOD5, total phosphorus, total and thermotolerant coliforms. The data was compared with current legislation, including Ministry of Health Ordinance No. 888/2021. The variables total dissolved solids, total phosphorus and temperature were all within the legal limits. On the other hand, it is worth noting that of the six points sampled, four indicated the presence of coliforms, and house 4 showed the presence of total and thermotolerant coliforms. The presence of pathogens in the water requires urgent control measures, whether it's raising awareness among the population, continuous cleaning of household reservoirs or water distribution pipes, since one of the possible consequences of drinking unsafe water will be high numbers of water-borne diseases.