Avaliação de desempenho dos dessalinizadores no Ceará

Abstract

The Company of Mineral Resources Research (CPRM), of 1997, had verified that more than 40% of the underground wells of Ceará possesses salty water. Until 1997, 10 salt removers had been installed in Ceará and four years later (2001), the government of the State had financed and implanted 160 units in rural communities. Unfortunately, it was verified that more than 1/3 of all salt removers were disabled. This motivated us to evaluate the social,economic and technological aspects that influence the performance of the equipments. In the study, data lifted in 160 communities were used; being applied an analysis to tabulate the relationships and the probit model. The conclusion was that, the probability of success of a salt remover does not depend on the emergency – in the approach of an external observer – of a community that needs this equipment, if the population does not notice its value. The main cause to salt removers stop working is linked to its membranes. The most influential variable for its good functioning is the operators training. There is predisposition to break of the smaller equipments installed in wells with high levels of salty water.