Avaliação da qualidade da água de chafarizes do município de Uruburetama, estado do Ceará

Abstract

In order to contribute to the improvement of life quality of people who use fountains as an alternative source for water supply in the municipality of Uruburetama, in the state of Ceará at the Northeast region in Brazil, this study sought to evaluate the quality of well water collected by faucets of fountains, Three distinct locations, namely Ipueirinha, Itacolomy and São Francisco (headquarters) were chosen. The water that is distributed through these fountains does not receive any kind of treatment, not even chlorination. Eight water samples were collected at each point in March, April and May 2019, totaling 24 samples collected. The selected parameters for this study were chlorides, total hardness, nitrates, nitrites, pH and sulfates. The parameters analysis was based on the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (APHA, 2012), being carried out in the Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry of the Nucleus of Industrial Technology of Ceará (NUTEC). The results obtained were compared with what is established in the Ministry of Health's Consolidation Ordinance No. 05, dated September 28, 2017. For the town of Ipueirinha, all samples of water collected had values higher than that established in the Ordinance quoted for chlorides and total hardness, while for the remaining parameters, they were below the maximum allowed value. As samples do not receive chlorine addition for disinfection, all samples cannot be used for direct consumption by the population, since Article 24. It establishes that all water for human consumption, collectively supplied, must undergo disinfection or chlorination. As a recommendation, Article 34. It establishes the obligation to maintain a minimum of 0,2 mg/L of free residual chlorine or 2 mg/L of combined residual chlorine or 0.2 mg/L of chlorine dioxide in distribution system (reservoir and network). Therefore, this constitutes a potential risk for the population to contract waterborne diseases.