COSTA, M. L. M. e.; COSTA, Mirella Leôncio Motta e.
Resumen:
The increasing explotation of groundwater resources, mainly due to its low cost and good
quality has required the need for regulation of its availability both in quantity and in quality. One of
the instruments established by the Federal Law no. 9.433/97 to accomplish this control is the
water right by checking pre-set criteria. However, there is no consolidated methodologies for
establishing criteria for grants to groundwater. Indeed, the central objective of this research is to
establish criteria for water rights apply to groundwater. Was used as a case study portion of the
Sedimentary Basin Coastal Paraiba-Pernambuco inserted in the Region of the Lower Course of the
river basin Paraiba, Paraiba state, Brazil. Through consideration of a conceptual model of
hydrological processes in the region was possible to establish criteria for the award in accordance
with the reality of the basin. The results were proposed levels of coverage criteria for grants, thus
defined: global, regional and local. The establishment of regional level of coverage required to be
set up seven "areas of management," in which different criteria may be established from one area
to another. The criteria of water right have established express the problems of managing water
resources in the watershed case study.