Fears Mount Over Pollution At Rio2016 Olympics Aquatics Venues

FEARS over sewage and pollution at key venues for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics are mounting with
some sites called an “open sewer” by officials.
This week the world’s top surfers including Kelly Slater and Brazilian Gabriel Medina are in Rio de Janeiro to take place in the Oi Rio Pro event at the Barra da Tijuca beach. It’s one of the main sites for competitions at next year’s Olympic Games and is near the spot where a raw sewage-filled lagoon empties into the Atlantic.
However the latest water quality report issued on Tuesday by environmental authorities said the area was inappropriate for swimming due to the concentration of fecal coliforms in the water.
It’s due to the poor sewage treatment infrastructure which has plagued Rio for decades, with much of the sewage from the city of 12 million people emptied into lakes, rivers and beaches. Of the 32 water quality reports issued this year for Rio, only eight found water in the area appropriate for swimmers.
Biologist and environmental activist Mario Moscatelli warned it could become particularly bad at low tide at Barra da Tijuca, when the lagoon’s fetid waters spill out into the ocean. He said winds could push the sewage along the beach and affect the competition site. Recent photos taken by Moscatelli while flying over the beach show a brown stain spreading over much of the beach.
Event organisers aren’t fazed, having recently cancelled a backup venue. World Surf League spokesman Dave Prodan said the organisation was “confident that our primary site at Postinho, Barra da Tijuca will deliver excellent conditions.”
Fears over the surfing competition come as Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s is due to meet with local Olympic organisers as well as members of the Swiss-based International Olympic Committee.