Gestão do saneamento básico em Santarém – Pará: ênfase no esgotamento sanitário.

Abstract

Public policy encompasses various dimensions aimed at the collective good, and here we specifically address Basic Sanitation, focusing primarily on Sanitary Sewage, a component often underappreciated in terms of its significance to the city's overall development. This dissertation aims to provide an in-depth analysis of this public policy within the context of Santarém, a municipality with limited sewage infrastructure, covering only a few kilometers of sewage network. In light of the new Sanitation Law (Law No. 14.026/2020), which amended Law No. 11.455/2007, the municipality has the potential to improve and expand its sewage services through enhanced administrative management. The overarching objective of this study is to analyze the management of basic sanitation, with a particular emphasis on sanitary sewage in Santarém, Pará. Specifically, this dissertation seeks to understand the Brazilian context of public policies, focusing on the political instruments of municipal public management; identify the sanitation management tools employed in both Brazil and Santarém; and assess the effectiveness of the execution of sanitary sewage services in Santarém, particularly in relation to the municipality's administrative policies, population growth, and federal regulations aimed at improving the sanitation system. A focused evaluation of municipal management over the past decade is crucial, especially in terms of sewage system implementation, a service that is often overlooked and underreported. This research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis, utilizing textual discourse analysis and content analysis. The study is based on documentary sources, spatial data (geographic or georeferenced), non-spatial data (official databases such as IBGE), articles, legal norms, and both primary and secondary data. According to IBGE (2022), Santarém has a population exceeding 331,000, and the 2012 and 2019 municipal sanitation plans (2020-2023) indicate a sewage network spanning only 57 km. Thus, the study hypothesizes a deficiency in the municipal master plan and a lack of strategic planning in the execution of sewage services. In conclusion, the situation may appear to be less than anticipated, based on the preliminary data and insights presented in this dissertation, especially considering the timeframe and performance of the municipal administration. Santarém, as the third-largest city in Pará by population, bordered by the Amazonas and Tapajós rivers, has substantial economic potential, and further progress in the area of sanitation policy could foster greater development.