Análise da qualidade da água do abastecimento público e doenças de veiculação hídrica: implicações para a gestão dos recursos hídricos em Sobral (CE).

Abstract

Water quality in Ceará faces significant challenges including scarcity, pollution, and inadequate infrastructure, leading to irregular water supply across various regions, which makes monitoring water quality through regular inspections crucial for preserving public health and preventing waterborne diseases. This study aimed to analyze the spatiotemporal variability of physical-chemical and microbiological quality patterns in public water supply systems while investigating correlations with waterborne disease occurrences. Furthermore, it seeks to contribute to water resource management in Sobral municipality, Ceará, by providing essential information for improving drinking water access and public health outcomes, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 targets for sustainable water and sanitation management. The methodological approach included comprehensive data collection from 53 fixed monitoring points over a five-year period (2020-2024) covering both urban and rural districts, analyzing parameters including turbidity, color, residual chlorine, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli against potability standards, while epidemiological data for both municipal and state levels were obtained from the Notifiable Health Conditions Information System (SINAN) focusing on Infectious Diarrheas, Hepatitis A, B and C, Schistosomiasis, Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fevers, and Intestinal Nematodes. Results demonstrated that the rainy season particularly affected water quality, with unsatisfactory microbiological results highlighting the need for enhanced monitoring systems, where implementing automatic turbidity and color sensors in water collection and distribution networks with real-time data transmission to control centers emerges as a critical corrective measure to ensure water safety through immediate alerts when parameters exceed acceptable limits, ultimately protecting population health through reliable water quality assurance.