The 2016 Summer Olympics boating and swimming events have put an international spotlight on a long-running problem in Rio de Janeiro—untreated sewage and trash are clogging up bays and waterways.

The construction industry continues to study the multiyear buildup of the Rio Olympics as a costly and challenging engineering project that provides lessons for future cities hosting large programs such as the Summer Games.

While officials claim most work will be done and the federal government is infusing cash, Brazilian firms worry about not getting paid.

To prevent trouble on the roughly 35 non-permanent structure contracts to be awarded for next summer’s Olympics games, the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee has set up a dispute program and appointed Jerry Brodsky, director of the Latin American practice group for Peckar & Abramson, to lead it.