The State University of São Paulo (UNESP) and the Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo, a government agency, have signed an agreement for the monitoring of underground water resources in this southern Brazilian state. Efforts will initially focus on the watershed made up by the Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí Rivers, which supply water to the municipalities of Rio Claro and Piracicaba, in the interior of the state.

Studies will be conducted to detect pollution from organic compounds, such as petroleum derivatives, and inorganic compounds, such as heavy metals.

The site chosen represents the typical conditions of a tropical region, with aquifers that are two meters deep on average.

"With these data we will be able to develop suitable parameters for the study of underground water resources based on the local climate and soil type," UNESP researcher Everton de Oliveira told Tierramérica.

"Up until now we have been using international parameters for experiments in tropical areas. This is an important development for the consolidation of environmental research," he added.