The data collection phase of the 2024 National Survey of Basic Sanitation (PNSB) begins today (14). In this module, researchers will gather information on the provision of urban cleaning and solid waste management services and rainwater drainage and management. The survey will resort to service providers in all 5,571 Brazilian municipalities as informants. The estimate is that the collection will be carried out for seven months, until October. The results are expected to be released in the second half of 2026.

Informants will answer questions such as selective collection, urban and beach cleaning and final disposal of solid waste; about mapping, monitoring and maintenance of rainwater drainage infrastructure and management, among others, related to the provision of these services in 2024.

The management of sanitation services is investigated in the Survey of Basic Municipal Information (MUNIC), together with city governments. This was the case with Munic 2017, Basic sanitation management, water supply and sewage, and Munic 2023, Basic sanitation management: urban cleaning and solid waste management, rainwater drainage and management.

Vânia Pacheco, Manager of Social Studies and Surveys at the Division of Population and Social Indicators (COPIS) and who headed Munic for many years, highlights the role of this survey in planning, explaining that it is through Munic that service providers are registered for the collection of thematic modules of the PNSB.

These are different and complementary surveys, as Fernanda Malta, manager of the PNSB, points out: “The integration with Munic allowed for a more detailed view of municipal sanitation management and enabled a more comprehensive questionnaire aligned with the public management of basic sanitation services”, she comments.

For Cristiane Moutinho, coordinator of Population and Social Indicators (COPIS), the expected results are as good as possible. “These are structuring and essential topics for conducting an updated diagnosis of sanitation services in the country. The biggest challenge is finding the right informant, capable of answering about the services offered.”

New topics address sustainability and environmental impacts

Sanitation, health and the environment go hand in hand. As Ms. Pacheco points out, the PNSB allows not only an assessment of the supply and quality of services provided, but also an analysis of environmental conditions and their direct implications on the health and quality of life of the Brazilian population.

PNSB manager Fernanda Malta explains that solid waste management encompasses all stages, from waste generation to its final disposal. In everyday life, this can be observed in selective collection, domestic composting and reverse logistics, in which companies are responsible for collecting post-consumer products, such as batteries, electronic devices and pesticide packaging, ensuring correct disposal and reuse of materials.

The Ecopoints, which are places where small volumes of rubble, large objects (furniture, tree prunings, etc.) and recyclable waste are voluntarily dropped off, are also being investigated. At the Ecopoints, it is possible to dispose of the material in separate containers for each type of waste, free of charge.

Rainwater management consists of controlling the runoff of rainwater to minimize problems such as flooding, erosion and contamination of rivers and lakes. "One of the main examples of this system is storm drains and manholes, which collect rainwater and direct it to rivers or reservoirs, preventing flooding in the streets", explains Ms. Malta. "In some cities, there are urban pools, large underground or open-air reservoirs that temporarily store rainwater to release it in a controlled manner".

Other solutions include the use of permeable pavements, which allow water to infiltrate the soil, reducing the overload on the drainage system. “Some more advanced cities invest in rain gardens and green roofs, which absorb part of the rainwater and help reduce the impact of heavy rains,” she adds.

Questionnaires have new sections and updates

The two thematic modules of this edition of the PNSB bring changes in relation to the last PNSB, carried out in 2008. The questionnaire on rainwater drainage and management, for example, received a new block specifically on flood protection systems, another block on rainwater treatment and a block highlighting rainwater management in rural areas, for example.

The questionnaire on urban cleaning and solid waste management used as a basis the National Solid Waste Policy, created after the last PNSB. Thus, changes were made to adapt it to the new policy, published in 2010. Highlights include the section on selective collection, waste pickers' association and environmental education.

In this edition, the survey counted on several expert collaborators, who participated individually in the preparation and review of the questionnaire. The National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA), the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MDR), the National Health Foundation (FUNASA), the Institute of Technological Research (IPT) and several universities are some examples of those collaborators. “These experts helped to ensure that the topics covered were comprehensive and up-to-date,” says Fernanda Malta. “The technical collaboration helped improving the quality of the information collected and making the survey more accurate and relevant.”