# Rio Olympics - water quality **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 30, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586 "2015-07-30T17:01:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/1 "2015-07-30T17:01:36Z")
Saw this [article](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/07/30/rio_olympics_sewage_water_events_will_be_marred_by_viruses_bacteria_ap_finds.html). The test results found high counts of active and infectious human adenoviruses, which multiply in the intestinal and respiratory tracts of people. These are viruses that are known to cause respiratory and digestive illnesses, including explosive diarrhea and vomiting, but can also lead to more serious heart, brain and other diseases. … and In 75 percent of the samples taken at the Olympic lake, the number of fecal coliforms exceeded Brazil’s legal limit for “secondary contact,” such as boating or rowing — in two samples spiking to over 10 times the accepted level. Ok that is disturbing. I am not an expert on clean up technologies, so I don’t know if it is even possible to clean the venues up in the 12 months that are left. I am sure athletes are facing a big dilemma - their health is their livelihood, is it worth skipping the Olympics to preserve it? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/2 "2015-07-30T17:10:28Z")
I’ve never known an Olympics that didn’t face problems. And I’ve been paying attention to them for over 40 years. Nevertheless, they will occur, and medals will be awarded. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/3 "2015-07-30T17:20:04Z")
I think this speaks to the way the Olympic Committee handles the choice of host city - recently also highlighted when Boston backed out of being the US nominee. It seems like they hold a contest, pick a winner, (pocket the bribes\*) and then the host city/country is on their own to make it work. There doesn’t seem to be any contingency if the host city fails. There is less than a year for Rio to fix this water issue, for example, and no clear way for them to do it. Nor, from what news I’m gleaning about it, does there seem to be much will among the populace any more to pungle up the funds. So many times the choice of host city seems to be based on promises of what new venues will be built, generally at government expense. This can be a very chancy thing. Beijing, sure, a huge country with enough resources and very little choice on the part of the people whether they are going to contribute; also you can be pretty sure it’s the same regime that made the promises that will be there when the games begin. Brazil, not so much. Tokyo, so thrilled to get the 2020 games, is having second thoughts. Now that Boston has backed out for 2024, my city of SF is presumably back in the running. I ran a little poll in my local Nextdoor message board, and it came up 65% opposed to SF or the Bay area being the host for these Olympics. The Olympic Committee should get wise and overhaul their whole theory and practice of Olympic host cities. \*I am willing to entertain the possibility that bribes do not affect the outcome. As yet I am not convinced. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/4 "2015-07-30T17:32:16Z")
Those bacteria numbers raise a red flag. If we were talking about a lake in my state with the same numbers, we’d definitely say that the waterbody is impaired, and we’d try to figure out what the pollutant sources are (livestock, straight pipes, leaky sewage systems, etc.) so that we could fix it. But the thresholds we use are very conservative. They are based on illness rates in the general population, which includes children and the elderly. Not world-class athletes. Bacteria impairments aren’t insurmontable, but they take a lot of $$ to address. Cows pooping in streams are a big source of bacteria, so if local governments can assist farmers with stream fencing, that may make a dent. But fixing all the failing septic tanks and straight pipes in the watershed is an enormous undertaking. We have a hard enough time doing this in the good ole USA. Probably the best they can do is pray for dry weather. Water quality almost always improves when flows are low. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/5 "2015-07-30T17:58:11Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Saw this [article](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/07/30/rio_olympics_sewage_water_events_will_be_marred_by_viruses_bacteria_ap_finds.html). > The test results found high counts of active and infectious human adenoviruses, which multiply in the intestinal and respiratory tracts of people. These are viruses that are known to cause respiratory and digestive illnesses, including explosive diarrhea and vomiting, but can also lead to more serious heart, brain and other diseases. > … and > In 75 percent of the samples taken at the Olympic lake, the number of fecal coliforms exceeded Brazil’s legal limit for “secondary contact,” such as boating or rowing — in two samples spiking to over 10 times the accepted level. > > Ok that is disturbing. I am not an expert on clean up technologies, so I don’t know if it is even possible to clean the venues up in the 12 months that are left. I am sure athletes are facing a big dilemma - their health is their livelihood, is it worth skipping the Olympics to preserve it? I think the explosive diarrhea could help speed up some of the sprints. If a new 100-meter world record comes in because of diarrhea-propulsion, should it really count? ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/6 "2015-07-30T18:32:57Z")
My understanding is that Rio’s successful bid to host the Olympics included building sewage treatment plants so these water venues would be clean. It appears the plants won’t be built at all, so there’s been discussions about moving these events elsewhere, but leaving everything else in Rio. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/7 "2015-07-30T18:38:29Z")
Rio as a city for people to live in existed way before the Olympics were awarded to it. Are there water-borne epidemics amongst native Carioca? If not, how are they getting past this issue? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/8 "2015-07-30T18:40:59Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Rio as a city for people to live in existed way before the Olympics were awarded to it. Are there water-borne epidemics amongst native Carioca? If not, how are they getting past this issue? [Immunity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveler%27s_diarrhea#Immunity)? ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/9 "2015-07-30T18:44:14Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > My understanding is that Rio’s successful bid to host the Olympics included building sewage treatment plants so these water venues would be clean. It appears the plants won’t be built at all, so there’s been discussions about moving these events elsewhere, but leaving everything else in Rio. Yeah, this is what I was going to say - they’ll just move the venues to some other location less filthy. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/10 "2015-07-30T20:42:08Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > So many times the choice of host city seems to be based on promises of what new venues will be built, generally at government expense. This can be a very chancy thing. Beijing, sure, a huge country with enough resources and very little choice on the part of the people whether they are going to contribute; also you can be pretty sure it’s the same regime that made the promises that will be there when the games begin. Brazil, not so much. Tokyo, so thrilled to get the 2020 games, is having second thoughts. Speaking of Beijing, it seems that [most of the Olympic venues](http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/07/13/decrepit-four-years-after-hosting-the-beijing-olympics-this-is-what-chinas-40b-investment-looks-like/) are now abandoned & crumbling. Like many large-scale Chinese works, the Beijing Olympics were mainly an expensive vanity project. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/11 "2015-07-30T22:25:38Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Rio as a city for people to live in existed way before the Olympics were awarded to it. Are there water-borne epidemics amongst native Carioca? If not, how are they getting past this issue? Pretty much all major cities in the first and second world, and probably the majority in the third world (Brazil is definitely not ‘third world’ in the same sense that Africa or India are) have water systems that function pretty well _most of the time_. The problem is some of them occasionally fail (during storms, for example, is a big one). Most people in Rio are definitely not suffering from waterborne illnesses _most of the time_. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/12 "2015-07-30T23:02:32Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Speaking of Beijing, it seems that [most of the Olympic venues](http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/07/13/decrepit-four-years-after-hosting-the-beijing-olympics-this-is-what-chinas-40b-investment-looks-like/) are now abandoned & crumbling. Like many large-scale Chinese works, the Beijing Olympics were mainly an expensive vanity project. A lot of Olympic venues suffer the same fate, it’s not exclusive to China. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/13 "2015-07-30T23:20:33Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I think this speaks to the way the Olympic Committee handles the choice of host city - recently also highlighted when Boston backed out of being the US nominee. > > It seems like they hold a contest, pick a winner, (pocket the bribes\*) and then the host city/country is on their own to make it work. There doesn’t seem to be any contingency if the host city fails. There is less than a year for Rio to fix this water issue, for example, and no clear way for them to do it. Nor, from what news I’m gleaning about it, does there seem to be much will among the populace any more to pungle up the funds. > > So many times the choice of host city seems to be based on promises of what new venues will be built, generally at government expense. This can be a very chancy thing. Beijing, sure, a huge country with enough resources and very little choice on the part of the people whether they are going to contribute; also you can be pretty sure it’s the same regime that made the promises that will be there when the games begin. Brazil, not so much. Tokyo, so thrilled to get the 2020 games, is having second thoughts. > > Now that Boston has backed out for 2024, my city of SF is presumably back in the running. I ran a little poll in my local Nextdoor message board, and it came up 65% opposed to SF or the Bay area being the host for these Olympics. The Olympic Committee should get wise and overhaul their whole theory and practice of Olympic host cities. > > \*I am willing to entertain the possibility that bribes do not affect the outcome. As yet I am not convinced. That was the USOC that picked Boston as the US candidate city, not the IOC. IOC doesn’t pick the final city until 2017, I believe. And SF is not back in the running. The only city the USOC is considering now is Los Angeles, which at least has held the games twice before. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/14 "2015-07-30T23:43:27Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > That was the USOC that picked Boston as the US candidate city, not the IOC. IOC doesn’t pick the final city until 2017, I believe. > > And SF is not back in the running. The only city the USOC is considering now is Los Angeles, which at least has held the games twice before. I was aware of the first point, I thought I made that clear. As for the 2nd point, according to the SF Chronicle, USOC are discussing a joint bid with both LA and SF. [Here](http://olympictalk.nbcsports.com/2015/07/29/los-angeles-2024-olympic-bid-usoc-san-francisco/) is an NBC article that quotes the Chronicle - this story is behind a pay wall at [chronicle.com](http://chronicle.com). That wouldn’t be so very bad, depending on what sports are in SF. I wouldn’t mind going to the swimming and diving events. As long as we don’t have to build new venues. ---
**Author:** ![bb49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bb49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bb49)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/15 "2015-07-31T18:25:32Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I think the explosive diarrhea could help speed up some of the sprints. If a new 100-meter world record comes in because of diarrhea-propulsion, should it really count? I believe this would result in more records being broken. Kind of like a little encouragement to be out front, and not near the “rear”. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/16 "2015-07-31T19:41:02Z")
I dunno, judges may rule that explosive diarrhea constitutes … an illegal rocket engine? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/17 "2015-07-31T19:50:29Z")
Won’t the events be in a place where explosive diarrhea would be unnoticed? They’re all experienced in sailing in water they’d be afraid to fall into, anyway. Just get all your booster shots and try not to fall in, simple as that. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/18 "2015-07-31T19:59:38Z")
Surely it is a characteristic of Olympic-level sailors that they don’t fall off their goddamned boats? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/19 "2015-07-31T20:10:58Z")
They do get a lot of spray in their faces, sometimes in their mouths and noses. Be sure to bring a case of Imodium, mateys. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586/20 "2015-07-31T20:20:41Z")
In the July 30 edition of _All Things Considered_, an AP rep discussed the results of their study of both the viruses and bacteria found in the Rio water: > [@](#): > > BROOKS: Athletes have gone very quiet about this. This has become a very sensitive topic. One of our health experts suggested that the athletes come down now, essentially, and make themselves sick in the hopes that they would build up immunities, which he said not quite in jest, but it’s an extreme measure to expose yourself to these pathogens in the hopes that by the time the Olympic event rolls around, you have built up immunities to them so you won’t be sick. > > BLOCK: That sounds like a really nasty process to have to go through. > > BROOKS: Very nasty and highly unlikely to work, according to our experts. [AP Study Finds Viruses Linked To Raw Sewage In Rio De Janeiro Olympic Waters : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2015/07/30/427839942/ap-study-finds-viruses-linked-to-raw-sewage-in-rio-de-janeiro-olympic-waters) That this would even be suggested, is a measure of skepticism that Brazil will fix the problem. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rio-olympics-water-quality/726586.md?page=2)