Originally Posted by VidaNaPraia

Here is one article about the problem:
http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-new...beach-showers/

I certainly hope the expensive hotels filter and treat their guests' shower water if it comes from the same source.

"Every year the talk about dirty sand is discussed. It's nothing new, nothing unknown."
Maybe to you residents, or to Brazilians who have seen (media outlet) Globo's reports over the years.
It is certainly likely to be "new" to people, including the WC visitors, who have never been to Rio. They might be forgiven for assumimg that any competent government (such as one that might be given a WC and Olympics) would oversee and regulate such things.

"If the sand strip is occupied by thousands, it's only natural that it gets dirty, even if the water was absolutely unpolluted."
It certainly is polluted, especially after a rain.
But the sand likely remains contaminated from decades of pollution washing up on the beach, and which remains on the sea bottom there and nearby. Even large crowds of bathers do not produce the level of fecal colliform found in the sand.

"What do you really expect when this happens?"
In the U.S., beaches with that type and level of contamination are closed until it is fixed.
The sand would likely be removed entirely and replaced with clean.