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ARTIGO ARTICLE

Avaliação da qualidade da água e percepção higiênico-sanitária na área rural de Lavras,
Minas Gerais, Brasil, 1999-2000
Water quality evaluation in rural areas of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1999-2000

Christiane Maria Barcellos
Magalhães da Rocha 1
Luciano dos Santos Rodrigues 2
Claudionor C. Costa 1
Paulo Roberto de Oliveira 2
Israel José da Silva 2
Éder Ferreira Moraes de Jesus 1
Renata G. Rolim 1

1 Departamento de Medicina
Veterinária, Universidade
Federal de Lavras,
Lavras, Brasil.
2 Escola de Veterinária,
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,
Belo Horizonte, Brasil.
Correspondência
C. M. B. M. Rocha
Setor de Medicina Veterinária
Preventiva, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária,
Universidade Federal de
Lavras. C. P. 3037, Lavras, MG
37200-000, Brasil. [e-mail] Abstract

Introdução

In addition to personal interviews, laboratory analyses were performed using 80 water samples from 45 rural areas that are crossed by the Água
Limpa and Santa Cruz streams close to the city of
Lavras, southern Minas Gerais State. The results allowed comparing the quality of water used for agriculture and the identification of determinant factors. The Água Limpa stream mostly crosses an area used primarily for housing and characterized by low schooling. Many houses are supplied by shallow water wells and have ordinary cesspits for human waste disposal. All springs are polluted. The Santa Cruz stream displays a different scenario. The land is used mostly for agricultural purposes. Most owners live in town, with widely varied levels of school, from none to university.
The houses are supplied by surface water. Most of the springs are polluted. The perception by both home and land owners concerning quality of the drinking water is determined solely by the water’s physical and organoleptic characteristics. Sanitary parameters are not taken into account.
Moreover, there is no relationship between fecal contamination and the type of spring. Land use and anthropic