Percepção da qualidade da água pelos assentados do Emiliano Zapata Uberlândia - MG

Abstract

The present project is a case of study on the use and management of water resources in a rural settlement in the city of Uberlandia-MG and its influence on the quality of life of the settlers. The focus of the research is the relationship between settlers and water and how they classify and use it, as well as the value of water resources in the community and their effects of scarcity. Through the coexistence with the settlers and interviews based on a semi-structured questionnaire, the study found that the families interviewed, generally, have water for domestic use, however, there is no system for treatment, distribution or storage of water for periods of drought. Basically, 77% of households have water from mines, 14% withdraw water from wells and 9% direct captain from streams. Even with 73% of respondents considering a bad quality water, the majority of the households do not treat it and also relate health problems resulting from water consumption. For the settlers, besides survival, water represents work and guaranteed permanence in the region. The lack of assistance from public authorities in the management of water resources in the field demonstrates the need for detailed and permanent work to improve water supply and use conditions for the rural community. Although the inhabitants have access to the water resource, the perception demonstrated by the research characterizes the fragility and insufficiency of the supply system, besides the lack of knowledge of the inhabitants about water as a vehicle of diseases.