The relationships of sanitation systems and population's health: a study in a district of a city in Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the aspects related to basic sanitation and its relationship with the health of the population of a district, of a city in Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Methods: This is a study of local basic sanitation considering the aspect characterization of water supply, sanitary sewage, urban cleaning and drainage, diagnosed through a questionnaire and observations. Results: The district water supply is performed by the Rio Grande do Norte Water and Sewage Company (CAERN). Regarding water quality, it complies with the established in the Ministry of Health standard. The sewage system currently represents around 30% of local residences, denotating that most adopt individual solutions for the destination of sanitary effluents, as a septic tank. The final destination of the waste present a malfunctioning controlled landfill feature. There is no drainage system, causing a serious problem in basic sanitation, due to rainwater run off towards the steepest slope,  may cause erosion of urban soil. Conclusion: It is concluded that the environment and the population are neglected by public management, which may cause significant future problems for the population's health and social welfare.