O saneamento e a politização da higiene no Rio Grande do Sul (1828-1930)

Abstract

In this research we address the historicity of sanitation policies in Rio Grande do Sul, in the period from 1828 to 1930. The chronological cut set includes the modernization experience of water supply and discussions about the fate of sewer in major cities southern Rio Grande. The focus of research is on political actions for sanitation, both at the level of municipalities, as the regional government's plan - exercised by the Province until 1889, and later by the state. In this sense, the quest for understanding the relationship between the municipalities and the regional government guided the consultation of documentary sources. The research gave emphasis on documents produced by the government and at the same time, explored the involvement of society in discussions on sanitation in Rio Grande do Sul from the press. Sanitation projects designed to Rio Grande Southern cities were also considered part of the documentary research corpus. To understand the expansion of sanitation investments occurred in Rio Grande do Sul in the period between 1828 and 1930, we analyze the history of water supply companies created in the imperial period, the organization of the Public tidiness service and the construction of the first sewers ; later, we highlight the work of the State Commission for Sanitation, created in 1918 to promote cooperation between the state and municipalities. Assuming that sanitation has gained importance for influence in urban sanitation and public health, the thesis introduces the concept of hygiene politicization to interpret the growing concern of government and society with the water and with the fate of sewer.