Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
1 comment 
Traditional Destination of Paulista Coast Faces Historical Prolonged of Beaches Considered Unfit for Bathing, While Preparing to Receive Millions of Tourists at the End of the Year, Amid Sanitary Alerts, Sanitation Challenges, and Claims for Structural Solutions.
Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, enters the final stretch of the year with the expectation of receiving millions of visitors, boosted by holidays, high temperatures, and New Year’s Eve programming.
At the same time, reports on water quality indicate a historical negative classification for the beaches of the municipality, with increased risk of illness when the seawater presents fecal contamination and bathing is not recommended.
The assessment mentioned in the text is based on the annual report of the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo, Cetesb.
-
In North Korea, residents take bottles, plastic, fabric, paper, and metal to recycling shops and exchange waste for products as sanctions, closed borders, and a more than 80% drop in trade with China pressure the country to replace imports.
-
An illegal mountain of waste 6 meters high and 10,000 tons has emerged in England, threatens to catch fire, could cost millions to remove, and exposes how illegal dumping has become a business for criminals.
-
Speed radar installed in a hidden village in the Dolomites becomes the protagonist of a million-dollar revenue and places small Italian towns at the center of a national controversy.
-
While Japan is seen as a global symbol of cleanliness, entire houses taken over by garbage expose loneliness, aging, and a legal barrier that prevents quick actions by municipalities.
The survey does not consider just a point-in-time bulletin, but the behavior of the beach over 12 months, based on regular microbiological collections and analyses.
In this method, the frequency of weeks with water in inadequate condition tends to lower the annual average, even when there is improvement during specific periods.
How the Cetesb Classification Works on Water Quality
The Cetesb water quality program classifies beaches weekly as suitable or unsuitable for primary contact recreation.
This type of recreation involves prolonged and direct contact with seawater.
The analysis is based on microorganisms that indicate fecal contamination, as they signal the possible presence of agents capable of causing diseases.
In addition to the weekly bulletin, the Company consolidates an annual classification, built from the distribution of results throughout the year.
In practice, the annual balance seeks to answer not only how the beach is at a specific moment, but how it behaved throughout the period.
This criterion is used to guide technical decisions and public policies in cities with high tourist pressure.
In the original text, the information that Santos has had a decade without suitable beaches in the annual average is attributed to the annual bulletin of the agency and to recently published reports.
Fecal Coliforms, Sewage, and Health Risks for Bathers
When water bodies contaminated by domestic sewage reach the sea, bathers may be exposed to pathogenic microorganisms.
Children, the elderly, and people with lower immune resistance are among the most susceptible groups, according to Cetesb itself.
In this scenario, the most common occurrence associated with water polluted by sewage is gastroenteritis, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, headache, and fever.
Diarrhea is the most frequent manifestation in this type of exposure.
Nonetheless, the Company notes that infections in the eyes, ears, nose, and throat can also occur.
The situation tends to worsen when contaminated streams, irregular sewage connections, and waste discharged into canals reach the sea.
Additionally, factors such as heavy rain and sources of fecal pollution play a significant role in the variation of results throughout the year.
Boqueirão and Aparecida Concentrate the Most Negative Evaluations
Among the beaches mentioned in the text, Boqueirão emerges as the most critical stretch from 2014 to 2023.
During this period, the beach received repeated “poor” and “very poor” classifications.
Meanwhile, Aparecida beach also showed a negative history, although with a performance considered less severe within the overall assessment.
These excerpts are included in the text sent and in reports addressing the theme.
On the other hand, the technical detail of these results does not appear individualized in the summarized public material from Cetesb consulted.
In the meantime, the environmental agency maintains the guidance that monitoring water quality should be done continuously.
The recommendation is to observe updated bulletins and the signage installed along the coastline, as water conditions can change rapidly from one week to another.
Vila Gilda Exposes Historical Sanitation Gaps
The text relates the pollution of the beaches to the reality of the Dique da Vila Gilda, an area of stilt houses located in Santos.
In the area, the absence of formal sewage infrastructure leads to part of the wastewater being discharged directly into the mangrove ecosystem.
The consequences involve environmental impacts, public health risks, and direct harm to the quality of life of those living in the region.
The City Hall of Santos claims that there is an urbanization plan for the area.
According to the municipal administration, on November 25, a technical cooperation agreement was signed with Sabesp to implement, starting in January 2026, complete systems of sanitary sewage and water distribution in the stilt houses.
The forecast announced is for about 2,500 regular connections.
The City Hall further informs that the intervention will be prioritized in the community and is part of the pilot revitalization project of the Palafitas Park, nationally recognized as “Innovative Solution for Housing.”
In the same position, the municipality attributes the main weight of water quality levels of the beaches to the sewer network.
The administration states that Santos has 99% sewage coverage, with the exception of substandard areas.
The collected material, according to the City Hall, undergoes pre-treatment before being discharged by the submarine outfall 4.5 kilometers off the coast.
Intense Tourism and Little Information About Water Quality
Even with the historical contamination presented, Santos remains one of the most traditional destinations on the Paulista coast.
The original report mentions the expectation of 3.5 million visitors during the year-end period, based on estimates from the City Hall.
In data released by the municipality itself in recent seasons, the City reported having received over 3.3 million tourists between December 2024 and February 2025.
The numbers help to gauge the pressure on the coastline, public services, and the sanitation system.
In this context, Cetesb emphasizes that the classification “unsuitable” indicates a compromise in the sanitary quality of the water.
The official guidance is not to enter the sea under these conditions, due to the increased risk to health.
Still, the text describes that some visitors go to the beach without knowing the latest classification or without noticing the warning signs installed along the coastline.
Privatization of Sabesp and Promise of Structural Advances
The City Hall also cites the privatization of Sabesp as a factor that could enhance investments in the sector.
According to the municipality, the change is expected to accelerate the universalization of sanitation in the state by 2029, in line with goals associated with the Legal Framework of Sanitation.
The expectation is that investments will contribute to long-term structural improvements, including impacts on beach quality.
With the New Year’s Eve approaching and the city preparing to receive crowds, the contrast between mass tourism and sanitary alerts returns to the center of local debate.
What type of information, oversight, and transparency is necessary so that those arriving at the coastline clearly understand the meaning of a beach classified as unsuitable before entering the sea?
Em Santos temos aniversário submarino que nada mais é que esgoto lançado no mar mais para frente um pouco em Mongaguá temos os esgotos que desembocam na praia a céu aberto… A Sabesp e a CETESB podia cuidar disso não?