Alternativas de projetos de redes de distribuição de água em cidades de pequeno porte.

Abstract

The water distribution networks constitute the most costly part of a water supply system and are of relevant importance for water supply system and are responsible for bringing drinking water from the reservoirs to the consumer units. In an attempt to present solutions for the dimensioning of networks in small cities, this work is concerned with analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of different design methods and ascertaining the impacts produced by appropriate alternative projects, taking into account, in particular, the expansion of networks due to the growth of demand. The methodology for the design considers the area to be supplied, the topographical characteristics of the region, the tracing of the conduits and the calculation method of the networks. The influences of these factors are analyzed specifically for the cases of small cities and different methods of calculation are employed and compared to reach the most appropriate dimensioning, ensuring the correct functioning of the network. In order to reach the proposed objectives, a case study was carried out on the water distribution network of the city of BaraúnaPB, which was initially designed to meet a demand, but has experienced a significant expansion in relation to the network first idealized. A tracing alternative scaled by three methods was analyzed: HardyCross, Pimentel Gomes and PNL2000. Based on the analysis of the results obtained, based on the sizing by the three methods, it was verified that, each, presents its particularities, offering different alternatives of network deployment, so that it is up to the designer to judge the one that will best fit the reality, especially that observed in small cities, in view of three important parameters: cost, feasibility of execution and expansion of the city.