Diagnóstico do sistema de abastecimento de água da cidade de Pombal – PB.

Abstract

Water is an essential good for the maintenance of life on earth, for the maintenance of ecosystems, in front of which water is a renewable but limited resource. The supply system reaches about 83% of the Brazilian population, but with difficulties, being the poor distribution of resources, as well as the irrational use of water, raising the rates of loss. Therefore, the objective of this study was to diagnose and characterize the water supply system of the municipality of Pombal, with emphasis on water losses, seeking to identify the main causes and propose solutions for the control and reduction of losses. For the development of the research, on-site visits were carried out to all units of the water supply system, with respective photographic records and unstructured interviews to residents and employees of the supply company, empirical formulas for the calculation of the indices, besides bibliographical research on the subject. According to the results obtained, it was verified that Pombal water supply system presented a 5,1% percentage loss index, considered low and thus demonstrates efficiency of the company in terms of control and reduction. Regarding the monthly loss indexes, March and April were the months that presented the highest values for all indexes, explained by the increase in clandestine connections. For the control and reduction of losses and other damages caused to the population it was suggested some proposals of low cost and of easy execution.