Fiocruz participated, last Monday (01/13), in a technical inspection at the facilities of Rio de Janeiro Utility Company for Water and Sewage (Cedae), in Nova Iguaçu, invited by the Departament of Public Prosecution of Rio de Janeiro State (MPRJ), represented by their Specialized Environmental Action Group (Gaema / MPRJ).

The purpose of the survey was to verify the conditions of Guandu River, it's equipments and the treatment quality carried out at the Guandu Water Treatment Station. In addition to the MPRJ, teams from the State Environmental Institute (Inea), the University of Rio de Janeiro State (Uerj), the Health Surveillance of municipality and State of Rio de Janeiro and Cedae participated in the action.

“The Public Prosecution actions are very important to improve on granting access to water and sanitation as a human right, and also highlights the importance of SUS (Single Health System) actions on health surveillance. Fiocruz, a strategic health institution in Brazil, has in its institutional guidelines the development of knowledge in Health, Environment and Sustainability, aimed to support SUS. Especially in this case, Fiocruz is intensifying partnerships with relevant agencies”, guaranteed the vice president of Environment, Attention and Health Promotion of Fiocruz, Marco Menezes.

During the survey, teams from Inea and Health Surveillance of municipality and state of Rio de Janeiro carried out a water intake at the main dam of Guandu River, at Marapicu Reservoir and at the official harvesting points at Cedae's laboratories. In this case, Fiocruz is responsible to provide the understanding of its specialists in the area of health and sanitation to mark out information and technical indications to the MPRJ. No samples were sent to the Foundation. All laboratory support is being carried out by the competent agencies.

According to representatives of Fiocruz who were at the site, the Water Treatment Plant is vulnerable due to the high pollution of Guandu River, that is the main supplier of Metropolitan Region, also, one of the possible consequences of this environmental degradation is the algae bloom, which can produce various substances, such as geosmin, that can change the smell and taste of the water.

“The Guandu River suffers intense pollution by sanitary sewage and industrial effluents from areas in its hydrographic basin that does not have a sewage system. It is crucial we understand the water supply system, from its source to distribution in homes, considering the

perspectives of environmental justice, human rights and promotion of health and common goods ”, explained Menezes.

Fiocruz's experience in provide studies on sanitary sewage and its effects on public health, in addition to the intensification of water crisis, resulted in the creation, in November 2019, of the Water and Sanitation Working Group, under the Vice-Presidency of Fiocruz's Environment, Attention and Health Promotion.

The WG is composed by specialists from different units of the institution and have the goal to enable discussions, supporting the production of knowledge that identifies public health solutions, promoting dialogue with governments, institutions and national and international social movements, aiming to provide and strengthen public policies that stands for the right to water and sanitation, and shore up strategic processes in research, education and cooperation related to the subject.

Fiocruz will continue to collaborate with the Public Prosecution of Rio de Janeiro State, as well as with the public agencies responsible for monitoring and controlling the water quality.

Official statement on audio shared on social networks in the last days

It has been shared a WhatsApp audio stating that the Foundation Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) warned the population about the quality of water in Rio de Janeiro. Fiocruz informs that this audio does not reflect the institution's position. So far, no water sample analysis was carried out by Fiocruz (source: CCS / Fiocruz).