Residents of Novo Hamburgo, located in the metropolitan region of Rio Grande do Sul, are sounding the alarm after a massive buildup of foam appeared in a local waterway. The unsettling sight was first spotted near a pumping station in the Santo Afonso neighborhood on Tuesday and grew significantly worse by Wednesday.
City environmental teams quickly mobilized to investigate the source of the foam. According to officials from the Novo Hamburgo municipal government, preliminary analysis suggests the foam is likely the result of high concentrations of organic matter and detergent-like substances present in the water. The pumping system at the nearby station, which creates turbulence and pressure, appears to have amplified the foaming effect considerably.
Jalnei de Souza, the director of Environmental Protection for Novo Hamburgo, confirmed that the investigation is still in its early stages. He noted that the contaminating substance may have originated from the neighboring municipality of São Leopoldo, and the possibility that a local company could be the source has not been ruled out.
Officials also observed that the foam tends to appear at specific times of day, typically in the early morning, around midday, or during the late afternoon. This pattern has helped investigators narrow down potential causes and timing of the discharge.
The case was formally reported to the government of São Leopoldo, which responded by conducting an inspection of the Arroio Gauchinho stream. The inspection covered the stretch between Avenida Mauá and the pumping station. According to São Leopoldo's official statement, no abnormalities were found along the inspected route, with officials describing the foam buildup as an isolated incident occurring near the pumping facility.
In its detailed response, São Leopoldo's Municipal Environment Secretariat explained that the foam formation is likely connected to surfactant substances such as soaps and detergents. When water containing these compounds is subjected to the agitation and pressure generated by the pumping system, the foaming process intensifies dramatically. The city acknowledged that while this type of event is not frequent, it can occur during periods when higher levels of these surface-active substances enter the water supply, including from domestic wastewater sources.
The incident has left many local residents concerned about the overall health of the Rio dos Sinos watershed and the potential environmental impact of untreated or poorly treated effluent being discharged into the river system. Environmental advocates in the region have long raised concerns about water quality in the Sinos basin, which serves multiple municipalities in the greater Porto Alegre area.
Based on reporting from g1.