Water quality and prospects for revitalization of an urban stream in Recife, Brazil

Abstract

The urbanization of Recife characterized an occupation of the Capibaribe River banks and its tributaries. This caused the grounding, rectification and degradation of several streams. Thus, this paper presents a diagnosis of the Cavouco stream water quality and suggests measures for its restoration. The collections were performed between 2016 and 2017 in three sampling points. Analysis adopted the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater and calculated the Water Quality Index (WQI). A correlation test between the parameters was applied to understand the phenomenon. Actions to revitalize it followed the European Union Water Framework Directive. The WQI of the Cavouco stream had a good presentation in the small lake zone; it was poor in the Federal University (UFPE) region and awful in the Caxangá Avenue section. Dissolved Oxygen (OD) concentration was negatively correlated with Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), decreasing from upstream to downstream. Water quality degradation is associated with untreated sewage discharge along the stream. The proposal to its recovery is to collect and treat domestic sewage, remove irregular housing, restore the riparian forest, control erosion, create linear parks and search for governance mechanisms with public participation. The proposed interventions are fundamental for the restoration of Cavouco's ecological potential, with improved water quality and reduced anthropogenic pressures.