Evaluation of an urban stream restoration project through water quality analysis and survey of the neighborhood residents

This research is part of the SWITCH Project (Sustainable Water Management Improves Tomorrow’s Cities’ Health), which is coordinated by UNESCO and constitutes of a 32 institutions working net. Among these institutions are the Belo Horizonte Government (PBH) and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). One of the interventions conducted by PBH is the Drenurbs Program that aims at the restoration and environmental sanitation of municipal watersheds. Considering the importance of assessing the stream restoration interventions proposed by Drenurbs, the main objective of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of the results obtained by the Baleares creek restoration project in Belo Horizonte. The following assessment tools were used: (i) monitoring of water quality (physical and chemical parameters); and (ii) survey with the population in the watershed. Tools (i) were assessed in two distinct periods: pre-restoration (September 2003-November 2006) and postrestoration (February 2008- February 2009). The survey was done once in October 2008. The water quality results revealed a significant improvement in all assessed parameters between pre restoration and post restorations periods, besides a change in the patterns of the average seasonal concentrations of the monitored indicators. The survey indicated that the results of the intervention were well accepted by the population, with good perspectives in relation to the deployment of similar projects in other urban watersheds. However, the preference for a “sanitary avenue” is still relevant. The results could subsidize future assessments of the interventions realized by the Drenurbs in Baleares creek