QUALITY OF THE DISTRIBUTED AND CONSUMED WATER BY THE POPULATION IN SALVADOR, BAHIA, BRAZIL M. L. Álvares *, P. C. Borja**, M. C. Dias*** and L. R. S. Moraes**** *Civil Engineer (EE/UCSAL, 1978); M.Sc. Student in Urban Environmental Engineering (EP/UFBA); Consultant. Av. Euclides da Cunha, 116 ap 1401, Graça, Salvador-Bahia-Brazil. politano@uol.com.br **Sanitary Engineer (EP/UFBA, 1986); M.Sc. in Urbanization (FA/UFBA, 1997). Ph.D. in Urbanization (FA/UFBA); Researcher; Consultant. ***Sanitary Engineer (EP/UFBA, 1998); M.Sc. in Urban Environmental Engineering (EP/UFBA, 2003); Engineer of DIVISA/SESAB; Researcher. ****Civil Engineer (EP/UFBA, 1973); Sanitary Engineer (FSP/USP,1974); M.Sc. in Sanitary Engineer (IHE/Delft Technology University, 1977); Ph.D. in Environmental Health (LSHTM/University of London, 1996), Professor of the Department of Environmental Engineering of the Polytechnic School and of the Post-Graduation Program in Urban Environmental Engineering at the Federal University of Bahia. ABSTRACT The environmental problems caused by the development model adopted starting from the industrial revolution were worsened after the technological development of the post war period, and it turned the water a resource scarce one and of committed quality. In Brazil, the water resources for public provisioning of water are being committed along the years, and the water supply systems have not been offering to the population water attending the drinking water patterns. To study the determing factors of the alteration of water quality in city of Salvador-Bahia-Brazil and the impact in this quality of the implementation of Bahia Environmental Sanitation Program - BAHIA AZUL Program are the objectives of present paper. The study was accomplished starting from the data of the Study of the Epidemiologic Impact of BAHIA AZUL Program and of the Research Use of Qualitative Quantitative Indicators in the Evaluation of the Services of Environmental Sanitation in the City of Salvador. Bacteriological and physiochemical analyses were accomplished in 310 samples of water in the years of 1998 and 2003. The results indicate that, despite the high investment of the BAHIA AZUL Program, water quality supplied continues not attending to the drinking water patterns, becoming worse inside household due the consumers inadequate handling. KEYWORDS BAHIA AZUL Program; Environmental Sanitation; Salvador; Water Drinking. INTRODUCTION The environmental problems caused by the development model adopted starting from the industrial revolution were worsened after the accelerated technological development of the post war period, turning the water a resource scarce one and of committed quality, whose dispute for his use and control already appears for conflicts among nations.