'Dark, brown, and stinking:' Olympians describe the dump that is Rio's water

MARIO TAMA/Getty Images

'Dark, brown, and stinking:' Olympians describe the dump that is Rio's water
(Image credit: MARIO TAMA/Getty Images)

A new report from The New York Times describes the water in Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay as one of the most vile places on earth. That's particularly bad, since in two years, the body of water is supposed to play host to the sailing and windsurfing events of the 2016 Summer Olympics. But with reports of floating dog carcasses, sewage contamination, and piles of trash contaminating the water, athletes are becoming increasingly skeptical that this mess of sewage will be a safe environment come 2016.

Several problems, including allegations of corruption and mismanagement, have derailed the bay's cleanup projects since the country pledged to get the water in top shape five years ago. Officials said 80 percent of the water flowing into it would be treated come 2016, but so far, less than 40 percent has been, and what is treated is still extremely tainted.

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.