Socio-environmental vulnerabilities associated with the implementation of highways on the banks of the public supply reservoir of the São Pedro Dam, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.

Introduction: One of the main forms of land settlement that generates serious impacts in water bodies is the construction of highways close to these systems. Objective: To identify the socio-environmental impacts associated with two events: the widening of BR-040 (in 2007) and the construction of BR-440 (between 2010 and 2020), near the banks of São Pedro Dam reservoir, a public water supply source in Juiz de Fora, MG. Methodology: A review of data from published papers, in which the area of study was the same and Water Quality Index (WQI) was used, was carried out in order to assess the water quality of this source, classified as a Class 1 water body. Data on water quality parameters provided by CESAMA were also analyzed. In addition, the progress of land development projects in the vicinity of the dam reservoir was regularly monitored from 2006 to 2017, allowing the gathering of information to be used in the analysis of associated consequences. Results: The dataset showed that the aforementioned events caused severe damage at the socio-environmental level, such as suppression of riparian vegetation, silting of the water body, compaction and contamination of the soil, filling of springs with land, and diversion of its waters. As a consequence, WQI values in these periods were the worst, indicating poor water quality for supply purposes. Conclusion: It is possible to double the volume of water treated by the local plant. This would reduce the risks of water shortage in the city during the dry season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]