Brazil's water 'not ready for Olympics'

Brazil's commitment to clean up Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro will not be met in time for the next Olympic Games. According to a letter written by environmental officials that was obtained by the Associated Press, the country will fail to deal with the water pollution caused by high levels of sewage before the 2016 games.

The letter was sent on May 7th to Carlos Francisco Portinho, state environment secretary, and sports minister Aldo Rebelo. It requested that more funding be allocated to water clean up in an effort to provide a greater level of depollution. At the current rate of investment into the clean-up of Guanabara Bay, it would take more than ten years to see the levels of sewage in the bay reduced, the letter continued.

Guanabara Bay is set to be the location for 2016's Olympic sailing events, meaning the water must be measured as safe for bathing. However, the admission that this will not be the case raises questions as to whether Brazil is suitable to host the Olympic Games. In its Olympic bid in 2009, Brazilian officials stated that a new standard of water quality would be set in time for the games, however; this now seems unlikely.

An Associated Press analysis in 2013, which looked at the last decade of data on a number of Brazil's waterways - including Guanabara Bay -revealed that the levels of sewage pollution have been consistently above acceptable and safe limits. The levels were found to spike above Brazilian laws, which are not as strict on pollution as regulations throughout Europe and the US.

Pledges by Brazilian authorities promised to see the amount of sewage entering into Guanabara Bay reduced by at least 80 per cent in time for the Games. This was set to be achieved by expanding the sewage network and constructing River Treatment Units (RTU) at the river mouths that flow into the bay. However, there has not been a lot of progress made with these developments.