Aproveitamento da água produzida pelos condicionadores de ar do Campus Sede da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande.

Abstract

Ways are sought to mitigate the effects of temperature since remote times. In Ancient Rome the water was flowing through the walls of the houses in order to cool them, but the appearance of the modern air conditioner dates back to 1902 when engineer Willis Carrier invented a system that allowed the humidity to be controlled air temperature and ambient temperature through artificially cooled ducts. Despite the notorious benefits, air-conditioning units produce water and it does not usually receive correct destination, causing the formation of puddles that can cause accidents by leaving the floor slippery, favor the proliferation of dengue mosquitoes and damage the marquees of buildings. In addition, due to the occurrence of recurrent water crises, mainly in the semi-arid regions, we began to find ways to avoid waste, to seize and reuse water. The Campina headquarters of the Federal University of Campina Grande, located in the city that names the Institution, in the state of Paraíba, has about 2480 refrigeration equipment that generates 1,188,373 liters of water per month. Observing the possible uses to which the water from these could be used in the Campus, it was thought to use it for irrigation of ornamental plants, car washing and use in urinals. However, it is necessary to evaluate the water quality to know the feasibility of using it for such purposes. From this point of view, laboratory analyzes of pH (hydrogenation potential), turbidity, electrical conductivity, COD (chemical oxygen demand) and BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand) were carried out according to the availability of the Sanitation Laboratory, and it was concluded that the water produced by air conditioners can only be used for car washing, since the values found for BOD5 have restricted its use, which is contrary to some pre-existing literature. This fact is justified by the difficulties faced in the collection, since the water surpassed some obstacles before entering the collection flask, which may have caused changes in the BOD5 values found for the sub-sample.