The springs in the Barra Mansa Municipality and its uses : reflection for the development of environmental awareness and water governance

Groundwater is an excellent alternative to meet public water supply demands, especially in the face of the water crisis and pollution of surface water bodies. Many municipalities throughout the national territory use water from springs for urban water supply. Barra Mansa, a city located in the southern Fluminense region, is an example of this. The aim of this study was to evaluate the water quality of three springs located in the city of Barra Mansa, in order to verify its water potential. The results obtained showed the water potential of the Municipality, revealing, however, the state of degradation and the risk of contamination of Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 2 groundwater, imposing the need to develop measures to preserve, prevent and mitigate anthropic impacts on the water sources. In this way, the questions proposed here may contribute to a reflection about the exploration of the sources and the implications inherent to its use.


Introduction
The globalized world, in which consumption has increased exponentially, and therefore generates the need for more products, has brought negative consequences for the natural environment, especially water resources.
In this context are the springs, which are water outcrops of water that emerge from the surface and can be an excellent resource to meet local demands.
This text aims to study the springs of the Barra Mansa. In this municipality -located in the Middle Paraíba Fluminense regionthere are several springs that places in comfortable situation, considering the times of water crisis (Bertolo, Hirata & Aly, 2015). According to the Brazilian Forest Code (Law n. 12.651/2012, art. 3, XVII), the concept of spring comprises "natural outcrop of the water table that presents continuity and begins a water course" (Lei n.

12.651, 2012).
It is, therefore, a possible resource in the attendance of demands. On the other hand, state that groundwater does not represent the solution to the water crisis, but are an important source, mainly for public supply and human consumption.
The Water Supply and Sewage Service of Barra Mansa (SAAE/BM) is a municipal authority responsible for the collection, treatment and distribution of water, maintenance and studies to expand the physical supply network, and is also responsible for sewage and solid waste services. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) (2015) the population of Barra Mansa is approximately 170,000 inhabitants and according to Table 1 its municipality's drinking water supply system consists of six water treatment station and five deep wells. The SAAE/BM reveals that an average of 12 million cubic meters of water per year was treated to serve the municipality. This water comes from the abstraction that occurs in the Paraíba do Sul, Bananal and Barra Mansa rivers, dams located in the neighborhood Vista Alegre and in artesian wells in the districts of Amparo, Rialto and Santa Rita de Cássia (Serviço Autônomo de Água e Esgoto de Barra Mansa [SAAE/BM], 2017).
However, in addition to the abstraction carried out by the SAAE/BM, part of the population makes direct and daily use of water collected from springs, since surface water degradation and climate changes tend to increase groundwater extraction (Agência Nacional de Águas [ANA], 2015). Compared with surface waters, groundwater has some properties that make its use more advantageous in relation to river waters, whereas they are naturally Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 4 filtered and purified through percolation, most of which presents excellent quality, without previous treatments. According to Bernardo & Zee (2014), from the second half of the twentieth century, water came to have its integrity threatened, due to the increasing pressure of overuse and misuse, besides the lack of adequate treatment. As a consequence of these factors, the gradual change in the composition of dissolved and / or dispersed elements in natural water bodies has been observed. Added to this fact is the disordered urban growth and the increase of public demands, motivated by the demographic concentration, that can negatively impact the water used for the public supply in the contributions of this resource, as is the case of Barra Mansa.
The United Nations World Report on Water Development (UN WWDR) points out that global water demand is strongly influenced by population growth, urbanization, food security and energy policies; macroeconomic processes such as the globalization of trade -as well as changes in diet, increased use of irrigated agriculture and increased consumption (United Nations World Report on Water Development [UN WWDR], 1992). There is also a forecast for an increase in global water demand -currently at 55% -by 2050, mainly due to the increasing demand from the industrial sector, thermoelectric power generation systems Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 5 and domestic users. By the way, water governance is being promoted, at least since the 1990s, as a normative concept to improve water resources management globally, with a focus on increased stakeholder engagement, flexibility, and less hierarchical forms of interaction between the state and society (Huo, Dang, Song, Chen & Mao, 2016;Neto, 2016;Schulz, Martin-Ortega, Glenk & Ioris, 2017).
Sustainability assessment offers a comprehensive and quantitative evaluation of the development performance of a specific region (Chen et al., 2017;Huang, Yan & Wu, 2016).
The shortage of water in recent years combined with the enormous waste and the great environmental impacts caused to water sources, make the subject of water resources management, the subject of discussions when it comes to sustainable development. Carli (2015) points out that the preservation of rivers and other water sources (lakes, groundwater) are even more important in these periods of crisis and drought, imposing the joint articulation of a series of instruments.
According to Freitas, Brilhante & Almeida (2001), the groundwater, besides being an economic good, is considered worldwide a source of supply for human consumption, for populations that do not have access to the public supply network or for those who, having access to a supply network, but have irregular supply often. In view of this, this important resource cannot be ignored. Santos & Silva (2018) emphasize that understanding what makes a spring water potable or non-potable provides the adoption of sustainable practices, as it helps in the systematization of preservation actions, that is, management and governance, allowing the maintenance of the integrity of the source and thus guaranteeing its potential as a possible resource for exploitation. Water is needed in all aspects of life. The overall objective is to ensure that adequate supply of good quality water is maintained for the entire population of the planet while preserving the hydrological, biological and chemical functions of ecosystems by adapting human activities to the limits of nature's ability and combating vectors of water-related diseases (ONU, 1992, p. 227).
Since the increase of natural resources being consumed in the process of economic development, many regions in the world have experienced a sharp conflict between sustainable economic development and the availability of resources (Abdullah, Muttaqi, & Agalgaonkar, 2015;Petrova & Nenko, 2018;Veiga & Magrini, 2013;Wu, 2014;Zhang Z., Zhang X. & Shi, 2018). By the way, urban and industrial development, associated with current climatic issues, has been identified as the responsible of impacts on underground water sources, causing a reduction in water volume, contamination and / or pollution of water sources and, in some cases, themselves (Huang, Yan and Wu, 2016;Karatas E. & Karatas A., 2016;Rantala, Ukko, Saunila, & Havukainen, 2018). New urban technology and infrastructure may also be replicable or useful in urban areas in different regions, such as historically has been the case with district heating, wastewater treatment, and public transport systems (Kes, Stefan, Lars & Lena, 2013;Panagopoulus, Duque & Dan, 2016). Marteleira, Pinto & Niza (2014) and Wolkmer & Pimmel (2013) emphasize that the first imperative is to change the culture of waste and the understanding that water is an inexhaustible resource, emphasizing, in this context, the strategic importance of water and environmental citizenship groundwater management and collaborative management.
The present study aimed to evaluate the water quality of three springs located in the city of Barra Mansa, in order to verify their water potential and generate data that may contribute to the development of public policies, management and governance for sustainable use from water.

Materials and Methods
Three springs located inside the Municipality of Barra Mansa, Rio de Janeiro served as our object of study. All of them are regularly used by the population to collect water for consumption. The choice of sources was made after previous visitation in 18 of them managed by the responsible agency SAAE/BM. As criteria established for the choice of the sources studied, stand out the importance of the source to attend the population, the strategic location and the improvements made for the exploration. The springs chosen were in Vila Maria, Vila Ursulino and Santa Clara neighborhood. It was carried out a characterization of the geographic space where the springs were located, as well as a survey of the interactions with the externalities of the environment. For each of the sources, water quality and socioenvironmental diagnosis were analyzed. Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 7 The collection, preservation, transport of the samples and the analyzes followed the guidelines described in the National Guide for the Collection and Preservation of Samples (Brandão, Botelho, Sato & Lamparelli, 2011) and in the Manual of Procedures for Sampling and Physical Chemical Analysis of Water (Parron, Muniz & Pereira, 2011).
To carry out the nitrate and ammonia analyzes, the samples were collected in amber glass flasks, with capacity for 1L, preserved with 2mL of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). For the analysis of the other physical-chemical parameters, the samples were collected in plastic bottles with a capacity of 2L. For bacteriological analyzes, the samples were collected in a snap-cap glass bottle, with a capacity of 125 mL, sterilized at 180 o C for 1:30h. Data were collected in March 2016.
The parameters evaluated for the bacteriological and physicochemical quality of the groundwater samples were: total and faecal coliforms; ammonia; chlorides; colour; toughness; nitrate; nitrite; pH, temperature and turbidity.
The normative references were the ABNT NBR 12620 (ABNT, 1992) and the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (SMEWW) (SMEWW, 2012). The pH and temperature tests were run on-site. The other analyzes were performed by AMPRO Laboratório e Engenharia Ltda.

Characterization of analyzed area
Streams in urban areas are prone to degradation. While urbanization-induced poor water quality is a widely observed and well documented phenomenon, the mechanism to pinpoint local drivers of urban stream degradation, and their relative influence on water quality, is still lacking (Afzali, Shahedi, Roshan, Solaimani & Vahabzadeh, 2014;Ersoy & Gültekin, 2013;Thornhill et al., 2017).
The characterization of the geographic space where the springs are located and the interactions with the externalities of the environment, allow to understand the several factors that influence the vulnerability of these bodies of water.
In the on-site observation of each of the sources analyzed, it was verified that the majority is in a state of degradation. O´Dwyer, Dowling and Adley (2014) and Giglio et al. (2016) point out that several factors may compromise groundwater quality: the final destination of domestic and industrial sewage in septic tanks and septic tanks, the inadequate Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 8 disposal of urban and industrial solid waste, gas stations and washing stations modernization of agriculture. This demonstrates the contribution of anthropic actions to the degradation of the underground water body, so that educational measures and integrated management of effluents, waste and economic activities should be considered in the actions of groundwater governance to promote conscious, sustainable and, above all, responsible.
Federal Law n. 9.433/1997, in its Article 1, Section IV, establishes a Hydrographic Basin as a management unit, implying new challenges for public administration and for civil society and emphasize the need to consolidate deliberative spaces for the strengthening of a democratic, integrated and shared management (Lei 9.433, 1997).

The spring of Vila Maria neighbourhoodspring A
The spring of Vila Maria features two water abstraction points, the first located on Antônio Graciano da Rocha Street, the main access road to the neighborhood. The other point is on the banks of the railway line, being about 300 meters after the first one. It has constant flow.
In situ observation, it was verified that the water comes from a hill near the abstraction points. There is little cover vegetation on the hill. The surroundings of the springs are surrounded by residences, a health station and a Municipal Nursery. Generally, users make use of the point located on the main road, because it is a place of better access, it is near a bus stop and due to improvements. These are summarized in a faucet that is fixed on the wall of a corner residence, the place has a ceramic coating and a drain through which the water seeps.
According to the 2010 census, the population of the Vila Maria neighborhood was 5016 inhabitants (IBGE, 2010). The exploitation of water from this source is not restricted to its dwellers. During the data collection the presence of other districts residents such as Centro, Saudade, Vista Alegre and Vila Nova was identified.

The spring of Santa Clara neighbourhoodspring B
Santa Clara is a neighborhood that presents more than one spring, according to SAAE data. The spring investigated is located at Délio Sampaio street number 5. It presents a surprising and constant volume of water. The flow impresses and calls attention by the lack of strategy of capture by the public power, since all water not captured goes to rainwater. The Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 9 water as in the other sources analyzed comes from a nearby hill, in this case covered by vegetation.
Délio Sampaio street is an important neighbourhood road access road. The catchment point is located close to residences, shopping facilities, sports court and bus stop. There is much movement to capture water and people from different place use this source. The presence of residents of the Center, Saudade, Goiabal, Vista Alegre, Vila Principal, Nova Esperança, Jardim América, Morja do Granja I, São Francisco, Morro do Cruzeiro and São Pedro was identified, in addition to the residents of Santa Clara.
Users of the neighborhood Ponte Alta, Municipality of Volta Redonda have also been found. In general, people who seek water from this source are attracted by their large water volume, supplying large quantities of containers.
The catchment point has a roof with a roof and the pipe is at a height that further the filling of water gallons. The floor is cemented and has a large drain, for drainage to the rainwater network.
Due to its easy access and physical space, some users use the spring to wash their cars.
This fact, occasionally, creates conflicts with users who come in search of water for consumption.
A recurrent observed aspect in all the sources was the user demand in water abstraction. This information establishes the importance of groundwater in meeting the population needs, but at the same time, indicates that consumption is continuous, with little importance attached to the value of this resource. This data corroborates with the opinion of the National Water Agency (ANA) that treats groundwater as fundamental for public water supply in Brazil (ANA, 2010).

The spring of Vila Ursulino neighbourhoodspring C
The spring of the Vila Ursulino neighborhood is located on street F, next to a Health Post. The water that arrives at the faucet comes from an outcrop present on a hill and is stored in a reception box. The pickup point has a good structure, having two faucets to facilitate users. The hill has a good vegetation cover and presents some native species of the Atlantic Forest, characteristic biome of the Region. It is located in an easily accessible location.
According to the report of the users presents average flow during the day and greater during the night. Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4

Reflection on direct consumption
A relevant data was the direct consumption of the springs, showing the degree of confidence in the quality of the water in nature. This fact is extremely important, given the culture that water springs, because they are crystalline, do not pose a health risk. Polluting microorganisms are not always perceived. Many of them do not cause a change in the colour, fragrance or even taste of the water, and may constitute a silent and imperceptible danger; hence the need for quality assessment on a regular basis. Villar (2016) corroborates the idea that the belief in superior groundwater quality discourages users from conducting water quality analyzes or restricting fecal coliform tests. Rebouças (2006) points out that groundwater also presents quality problems, whether due to anthropogenic, biological or natural contamination (from rock and water interaction). Therefore, your intake can lead to public health problems. Beliefs, concepts and prejudices are relevant and explain behaviors, habits and customs.
However, when they result in the dissimilation of shares which are harmful to public health, should be addressed. This treatment involves socio-educational measures, which may occur formally within educational institutions or even within the informal sphere through other institutions, such as association of residents, churches, media, newsletters, among others.

Results regarding the potability of springs
According to Brazilian Ministry of Health (MS) the evaluation of the quality of a water must be done in an integrated way, considering all physical, chemical and biological information. In addition, the author emphasizes that some parameters are evaluation instruments that can be grouped to contemplate the most relevant characteristics of the natural Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4. Celligoi (1999) considers groundwater chemical analyzes to be "important because the chemical analysis of groundwater is very important, since the identification parameters are required", since it allows identifying the type of water and for which activity it can be employed. Table 2 presents   Hardness values for spring A give it a moderate hardness rating (between 50mg.L -1 and 150mg.L -1 CaCO3). For springs B and C, the obtained values require them to be classified as soft or soft because they are within the limits established for this category (<50mg.L -1 of CaCO3). The hardness value is a data that attracts attention, because it presents higher values in the source A than in the others. This fact may be related to the proximity of the local steel mill and to the soil type, but this fact requires further investigation.
According to the Brazilian Legislation for supply water, the drinking standard sets the limit of 500mg.L -1 CaCO3, values usually only found in underground aquifers.
Related to chlorides, the obtained values meet the Brazilian Legislation specifications, which recommends a limit of 250mg. Higher values compromise the organoleptic quality of the water (Celligoi, 1999). The author report that: the presence of chloride in groundwater can be attributed to the dissolution of saline deposits, discharges of chemical industry effluents, saline intrusions, etc. Chloride ions are highly mobile and are not retained in permeable rocks. In argillites, NaCl crystals or NaCl solutions can be contained in pores. Chloride ions are present at low concentrations (<10mg.L -1 ). High concentrations may indicate anthropogenic pollution (Celligoi, 1999, p.93).
The Brazilian Ministry of Health Ordinance (Consolidation Ordinance n. 5, 2017) recommends that the pH value of water intended for human consumption and supplied by the public supply network is in the range of 6.0 to 9.5). Although the analyzed waters come from underground resources, therefore of mineral origin, they meet this limit established as a guarantee of potability (Portaria de Consolidação n. 5, 2017).
However, the obtained values analyses verified that the samples from sources A and C presented acidified pH while that of source B, slightly alkaline. These results suggest that probably at source B it may indicate the presence of bicarbonates (HCO3 -), carbonates (CO3 2-) or hydroxides (OH -), which are the main responsible for alkalinity, requiring more detailed analysis in later research. In the samples referring to the A and C springs, the light acidity may suggest anthropogenic and / or natural causes, such as, for example, organic matter decomposition (MS, 2006). Table 3 presents obtained data for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the water samples of the analyzed samples. BOD is the amount of oxygen required to oxidize organic matter by aerobic microbial decomposition to a stable inorganic form. COD is the amount of oxygen required for oxidation of organic matter by a chemical agent. When dissolved oxygen levels tend to zero, the decomposition of organic matter occurs in an anaerobic environment, which causes the emanation of odorous volatile by-products from water bodies, causing discomfort to the population and damage to materials and flora. In an aerobic environment, on the other hand, the decomposition of carbonaceous organic matter and nitrogenous organic matter occurs, the latter being converted into nitrate. Both phosphorus and nitrate are essential nutrients for biological activity (CETESB, 2018, p.16). Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 13 Table 4 shows obtained data for nitrite (NO2 -), nitrate (NO3 -) and ammonia (NH3) from the analyzed sources. The nitrite, nitrate and ammonia obtained values are in accordance with those required by the Consolidation Ordinance n. 5, 2017 and ABNT NBR 1260/1992, which establishes for nitrate 10mg.L -1 , nitrite 1mg.L -1 and ammonia 1.5mg.L -1 (ABNT, 1992;Portaria de Consolidação n. 5, 2017). According to the American Public Health Association (APHA) nitrate ion is one of the most commonly found in natural waters and is generally low in surface water, but in deep water it can be found in high concentrations (American Public Health Association [APHA], 1992). Consumption of nitrate-contaminated waters result in serious health risks especially in children methemoglobinemia, causing "blue baby syndrome" as well as the potential formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines and nitrosamides (Bouchard, Willians & Surampalli, 1992; Organización Mundial de la Salud para lacalidade del agua potable [OMS], 1995;Queiroz, 2004).
Regarding nitrite intake Batalha & Parlatore (1977) emphasize that when ingested directly with drinking water, it can cause methemoglobinemia regardless of the consumer's age group and its effect is faster and more pronounced than nitrate.
Although the level of nitrogen compounds and compounds found in the samples is low in concentration and does not compromise these water bodies, it should be noted that the nitrogen series (molecular nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate and ammonium ions, among other nitrogen compounds) such as releases, domestic sewage, industrial and animal breeding, as well as the excessive use of fertilizers in water bodies, with a good indicator of contamination. Table 5 shows obtained data for apparent colour and turbidity in water samples from the analyzed samples. To meet the potability standard, water must have an apparent colour intensity of less than five units. The data obtained are in accordance with the established. According to CETESB (2016), the turbidity of a sample of water constitutes the degree of attenuation of the intensity that a beam of light suffers when crossing it. This reduction occurs by absorption and scattering, since the particles that cause the turbidity in the waters are larger than the wavelengths of white light. This measurement is made with the turbid meter or nephelometer, which compares the scattering of a beam of light as it passes through the sample with that of a beam of equal intensity when passing through a standard suspension. The greater the spread, the greater the turbidity (Couto, 2016). The natural turbidity of the waters is generally in the range of 3 to 500 units.
For potability purposes, the turbidity must be less than one unit. This restriction is based on the influence of turbidity on the usual processes of disinfection, acting as a shield to the pathogenic microorganisms, thus minimizing the action of the disinfectant (MS, 2006).
However, the results concerning turbidity reveal that the values found are in agreement with the expected for the natural condition of the water, considering that it is mineral water.
However, outside the established limits for the treatment of water in treatment systems. Table 6, below, shows the data obtained for Escherichia coli counts and total coliform counts from the analysed samples. The presence of Escherichia coli in water acts as the body most used as an indicator of faecal contamination. Their presence suggests that the water may have received a load of faecal contamination. This burden contributes to the deterioration of the microbiological quality of the water and can pose risks to the health of consumers. Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435

Analysis within a way management and governance perspective
The "Agenda 21" advocates that a significant part of the damage is due to the lack of knowledge or negligence of social actors regarding the capacity of ecosystems to support them. The central issue, in this case, would be the implementation of management means that, by ensuring the dissemination and absorption of knowledge, ensure sustainability. Pagnoccheschi (2016) and Al Saidi (2017) emphasizes that the major challenges to be faced in the coming years regarding water resources governance are related to the articulations that will be needed with the sectors that use water resources, generally subject to specific public policies, which corroborates the idea proposed here of the need for local policy development that addresses the municipality of Barra Mansa and involves all its social actors Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 (users, public andprivate management) in order to establish a more efficient and sustainable mechanism for the use of groundwater in the County. Victorino (2007), Patil et al. (2013) and Ashiyani et al. (2015) points out that widespread scarcity, gradual destruction and worsening pollution of water sources in many regions of the world require awareness and changes in attitudes towards water. Such changes will only occur through a re-education or an education aimed at the environment. Gadotti (2000) states that "to educate is to know how to read the world, to know it to transform it and to transform it, to know it". Therefore, the understanding of the environment and the variables present in it are essential for the formation of citizens aware of their role in urban space. Lima (1998) corroborates the idea, when inferring that education is a key element in the process of changing mentalities, habits and behaviors, towards a sustainable society. Moreira (2014), bringing to an urban context, emphasizes that urban waters thus become the subject of permanent debates not only for the patrimony of supply and energy that often translate to cities, but also for the landscape and the identity character which they enter.
Groundwater cannot be disregarded as a viable alternative for urban water supply.
An example of successful use of this resource is verified through the analysis of CETESB data, in 2002, 462 municipalities in the State of São Paulo (72%) were totally or partially supplied with groundwater and that 308 (47.7%) municipalities were fully supplied by this water resource, although most of these were municipalities with a small number of inhabitants (less than 10,000) (CETESB, 2004).
In 2010, the number of cities fully served by groundwater rose to 331 and those using Considering the above, we can affirm that the exploration and maintenance of a water supply system using only groundwater, which serve a Municipality as a whole is possible and, considering the wide employment and the multiple urban activities that water can acquire, we can infer that groundwater plays a large role in maintaining life and productive chains. Rebouças (2006) points out that 95% of São Paulo's industries use groundwater. Research, Society and Development, v. 9, n. 11, e119119435, 2020 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i11.9435 Machado (2004) emphasizes that social participation in the management of water resources involves both the democratic principle and the necessary awareness for the construction of a new way of managing the public good, by nature, expensive and scarce. Senthilkumar, Nithya & Babu (2014) infers that the integrated management of water resources aims to ensure their preservation, use, recovery and conservation in conditions satisfactory to their multiple users and consistent with the region's balanced and sustainable development and efficiency.
The present study does not pretend to indicate solutions to solve the problems of the use of groundwater in the Municipality of Barra Mansa, but to provoke a reflection on the subject so that new studies can be developed and with that, to provide efficient use of this important water resource.

Conclusion
Groundwater emerges as an alternative to meet the demands of public supply, in the face of the water crisis and pollution of surface water bodies. The municipality of Barra Mansa has an impressive underground water potential.
However, there is a lack of public policies aimed at preserving this important resource.
The results obtained here reveal both the potential, the degradation status and the risk of groundwater contamination, suggesting the need for measures to preserve, prevent and mitigate anthropogenic impacts on water sources.
The potability analyzes showed that most of the parameters evaluated in the samples of the fountains are in agreement with the established by the Ministry of Health.
However, the presence of Escherichia coli in the samples indicates possible fecal contamination, making them unfit for human consumption.
To meet this purpose, they become necessary disinfection mechanisms. The presence of Escherichia coli brings this data to the area of medical health interest.
Under the socio-environmental aspect, the present study highlights the importance that the springs present for the population of Barra Mansa and reveals the network of springs spread throughout its territory. This information assists in the development of management of groundwater resources of the Municipality, since it allows the identification, mapping, verification of the qualitative and quantitative water potential for the use of these waters in human consumption and other social demands.
Thereby the groundwater use contributes to expenses reduction and sustainable measures adoption, since the treatment stages consume energy and inputs in their processes, providing significant savings to the Municipality, besides offering consumers better quality.
In such context, public policies compromised with Ambiental In such context, the importance of developing public policies focused on management and governance, with the participation of the whole society is highlighted. Besides that, the protection of underground water bodies must be a priority, considering their peculiarities and characteristics.
Given the above, it can be inferred that further investigations are needed to support the management of water resources in the Municipality of Barra Mansa. For example, research on other springs, including those located in rural areas and in neighboring municipalities.