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A poor sanitation system can generate numerous harmful consequences for society and environment. These include pollution of water bodies and risks to public health. Mitigation measures for these problems are necessary, preferably based on planning and management actions, requiring greater knowledge of the problem and careful analysis of proposed solutions. This work aims to present an environmental overview of Maricá Lagoon System (MLS) based on water quality indexes (WQI) and sanitation indicators available in the databases of State Environment Institute (INEA) and National Information System on Sanitation (SNIS), respectively. For a more comprehensive perception, the lagoons of Maricá and Saquarema were compared considering the indexes and indicators raised. Six monitoring points performed by INEA were studied in affluent of MLS and five in Saquarema Lagoon System. There was a relationship between the poor quality of the MLS waters and the lack of adequate basic sanitation in the urban areas of its hydrographic basin, with the Maricá Airport channel with the worst WQI. Therefore, one of the main conditions for the environmental revitalization of these lagoons that are vital for Maricá is to obtain a greater range and quality of basic sanitation services provided to the population. To allow the necessary improvement, in the short term, of water quality in MLS, emergency sanitary engineering alternatives can be used, among which the adoption of sewage collection system in dry weather, along the lines of what has already been used with success in the neighboring lagoon complexes such as Saquarema and Araruama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]