Water Quality of Cisterns and Underground Dams in Semiarid Regions: Case Study of Afogados da Ingazeira, Pernambuco – Northeast Brazil

Abstract

In semiarid regions water resources are limited and irregularly distributed over space and time. As a result, water scarcity is a reality emphasized by the high evaporation rate recorded in these regions (2000 mm per year). In consequence, the management of water use is a subject that requires priority, especially in the regions where water is a scarce resource. There should be orientation towards its rational use through storage in appropriate places – as cisterns, and underground dams. Additionally, these techniques represent an advantage since they have low costs and can be developed and maintained by individual or community programmes. The social mobilization that occurs with families involved on the construction and maintenance of these structures guaranty the sustainability of these techniques. Although several local populations continued to use water without any treatment, is essential to promote the sanitary security of those waters, which must achieve the human consumption standards, defined on Brazilian legislations. The main goals of this work are: (i) to analyze the maintenance of these structures and the facilities of their implementation; (ii) to calculate the costs involved; (iii) and finally to discuss the importance of improve water quality in cisterns and groundwater dams.