Um estudo da gestão da durabilidade de medidores de água via análise de confiabilidade

Abstract

Water meters are crucial instruments for managing water resources and ensuring fair billing for both sanitation companies and their users. There are specific standards and legislation to regulate the construction, the verification, and the conformity assurance of water meters. Consequently, sanitation companies must maintain their equipment in conformity to ensure accurate billing. However, most studies in this area do not consider the conformity and maintenance period of the metrological characteristics of the devices, focusing solely on losses and under-measurements. In this study, we propose to assess the reliability of water meters using concepts from reliability/survival analysis and evaluate whether there are effects on durability due to the manufacturer, meter repair process, and indicated volume. Intermediate verification data from a water utility company were used, with reliability evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, and the log-rank test applied to assess factor effects. The analysis enabled us to estimate the reliability of water meters under the company’s current policy and to suggest incorporating reliability data into the development of water meter replacement policies.