Proposta de Modelo Tarifário de Água Bruta para Estados do Nordeste Brasileiro

Abstract

The management of water resources is a matter increasingly present and pressing in the agenda of governments and of the society at large. Charging for the bulk water use is one of the main instruments of water management, especially in the current stage of configuration of social entities. Even so, in Northeastern Brazil, as well as across the country, this management tool is still poorly implemented. One of the difficulties in applying this instrument lies on the formulation of the charging model, which should be able to determine charging rates that could be applied to different users within a given activity sector and even to different users of different sectors. In that sense, this paper aims higher, at the proposition and discussion of the bulk water charging model to different user sectors - industry, bottled water, basic sanitation, aquaculture and irrigated agriculture - in northeastern states of Brazil – Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba. In order to develop the proposed model (CPS-2), we reformulate the previous model (CPS), adopting a new configuration in the calculation of discriminated charging rates, using the cross-subsidy mechanism, where such discrimination is established by the range of water consumption. The model thus developed is structured after the models of the ad hoc type and based on cost of operation, administration and maintenance (OAM) of the water system and on the paying capacity of the focused sector to determine rates of charging. In order to calculate the charge by CPS-2, we still evaluate of the model-exogenous variables such as ability to pay, water discharge, water demand and amount to collect. The results indicate that the charging (or pricing) model CPS-2 is able to establish average rates, by sector, and charging rates determined by range of consumption (within a given sector) applicable to the set of the social circumstances of the three states focused. The values of average charges determined for all sectors studied in the survey are taken to be in the same order of magnitude as the rates charged and/or proposed in the studied area, as well as the rates charged for the irrigated agriculture sector. When charging for the range of consumption, the same rate is applied to different users, and several are applied to a single user, thus configuring the charging after the precept of equalizing rates. Therefore, with the practice of associating a certain rate of charge to a range of specific consumption, the charging takes an aspect more egalitarian and less exceptional. Thus, we draw satisfactory conclusions concerning the formulation and application of the CPS-2 model, mainly due to charging directives implemented and to the composition of the charged sums to users, enabling fairer distribution of the financial load between them.