A BALNEABILIDADE DAS PRAIAS DO MUNICÍPIO DE CAPÃO DA CANOA/RS NOS VERÕES DE 2003/2004 A 2014/2015 E SUAS PERSPECTIVAS

Abstract

The municipality of Capão da Canoa, located on the northern coast of Rio Grande do Sul state, is visited by many vacationers, who generate impacts on the environment, which affect the bathing suitability of the beaches. The present study aims to verify the quality of the waters of the municipality's bathing spots, through the analysis of data collected by the Henrique Luiz Roessler State Foundation for Environmental Protection in the summers from 2003/2004 to 2014/2015. These data were analyzed, according to the guidelines and the parameters established by Resolution No. 274/2000 of the Brazilian National Council of the Environment, in order to verify the spatial-temporal variability of the bathing beaches. The points with the highest values of thermotolerant coliforms were located in Centro and Navegantes districts, while those located in Capão Novo and Araçá municipalities registered the lowest concentrations. A slight increase in the concentration of thermotolerant coliforms was observed in the less urbanized areas and a small decrease in the more densely occupied areas. Although the Capão da Canoa beaches are considered suitable for bathing, it was found that there is a demand for investments in sewage systems in some sectors of the more urbanized areas. Furthermore, there is a need for individual solutions for the treatment of domestic effluents in the areas farther from the central zone, in view of the population growth prediction.