Análise do uso de equipamentos economizadores para redução da demanda de água urbana em um município do semiárido cearense

Abstract

Water is a vital resource for human beings and, therefore, the wise use of this resource is a global concern. In view of this, several researches are emerging with the aim of analyzing and seeking alternatives for water conservation by reducing the consumption of water resources. In this context, the present research has the general objective of analyzing the impact of replacing conventional sanitary equipment with water-saving equipment on urban water demand in the municipality of Crateús-CE, as well as evaluating the financial viability in various scenarios of replacing these devices and characterize water demand in this municipality. Thus, a case study was carried out considering 12 different scenarios using two bathrooms and a kitchen for two buildings as an analysis reference. This process began with data acquisition, followed by population characterization and another characterization for different scenarios involving their associated costs. With this, the average monthly consumption of conventional equipment, the monthly consumption with the implementation of water-saving equipment, the water savings provided by the water-saving equipment and the return on investment in month t were calculated. Finally, the result was that the average monthly demand in the municipality of Crateús was calculated at around 144.74 l/inhabitant/day, considering the years 2018 to 2023 and in only one scenario of the twelve analyzed, the return on investment occurred in less than a year for consumption of 100 m³/month. Water consumption reduction rates ranged from 1.16% to 26.55% with water savings reaching notable values, such as 87,568.22 m³/month in scenario 11 for the year 2022. In addition, the replacement of faucets in the kitchen (scenario 8) and the sink in conjunction with the kitchen (scenario 9) using energy-saving equipment resulted in the best return on investment.