Avaliação legal e prática da aplicação de águas residuárias tratadas no solo no contexto do reúso de água no Brasil

Abstract

Water reuse is considered an important water management tool. However, in Brazil, only 4.9% of the water used is reused, most of it in activities with the risk of releasing treated wastewater (TWW) into the soil. In this article, an analysis was made of 6 Brazilian legislations that regulate the TWW use and that present values for reuse standards and their requirements for monitoring impacts on the soil. Studies on the dispersion of pollutants in the soil were also analyzed. It was concluded that besides the advance in reuse standards, an expansion is necessary to promote the dissemination of the practice in the country. The reference values adopted by the legislations are discrepant, and some are highly restrictive and inconsistent with the Brazilian socio-economic reality. Few legislations indicate a concern with soil quality when TWW is available, and none specify a method for evaluating the dispersion of pollutants in the soil.