2016 Olympic Athletes to compete in 'basically raw sewage'
Digital Reporter
Thursday, July 30, 2015, 5:53 PM - A new report by the Associated Press (AP) suggests athletes competing in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will be swimming in water that is 'basically raw sewage'. The water, which is heavily contaminated with raw feces, poses a huge health risk to competitors, potentially rendering them too ill to participate in the games.
AP's water quality analysis found 'dangerously high' levels of bacteria in water that will be used for competition.
Brazilian officials insist the water will be safe in time for the games, adding the medical of the director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) says the city is "on track" for providing safe venues.
But AP reports neither the IOC nor local government tests for viruses and rely solely on bacteria testing.
John Griffith, a marine biologist at the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project told the Canadian Press the water is "basically raw sewage".
"It's all the water from the toilets and the showers and whatever people put down their sinks, all mixed up, and it's going out into the beach waters. Those kinds of things would be shut down immediately if found here [in the U.S.]," he told the news agency.
Nearly 1,400 athletes are expected to compete near Marina da Gloria in Guanabara Bay, off Copacabana beach, and on Rodrigo de Freitas Lake. AP commissioned four rounds of water testing at those venues and discovered none where safe for swimming or boating, according to water experts.
Sources: The Associated Press | The Canadian Press
IN PHOTOS: DIRTY WATER IN RIO:
