RIO DE JANEIRO (BDCi) – According to officials in Brazil, the most recent tests have shown that the water in Rio’s Guanabara Bay meets international standards.
But concerns about water pollution in the bay where sailing events will be held for the Rio 2016 Olympics are being raised, though they are also being dismissed by Olympic organizers.
The first official sailing test went ahead as scheduled on Sunday (3), just below the Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Athletes who have recently competed in the area say they bump into floating debris, like sofas and even a dead dog.
As per Brazilian media outlets, sailing events could be moved to another venue.
Despite promises from Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Silva to clean Guanabara Bay by 80% as part of Brazil’s Olympic bid, he announced in June that expectations would not be met.
The population of Greater Rio de Janeiro totals some 10 million people. Every day, millions of gallons of untreated sewage are dumped into the bay.