This article presents the results of a case study carried out in the cemetery of Tabuleiro, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from August 2007 to March 2008. Five sampling wells were drilled within the cemetery area, and water samples analyzed for pH, conductivity, nitrogen ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrate, total phosphorus, sodium, potassium, calcium, manganese, BOD, COD, total coliforms and E. coli . The results demonstrated that the groundwater is subjected to contamination from burials leakage and the most evident impacts have been observed in the sampling well located downstream of the cemetery site.