Technologic protocol applied to medium size water supply systems aiming at water efficiency and loss reduction

Protocolo tecnológico aplicado a sistemas de abastecimento de água de médio porte visando à eficiência hídrica e à redução de perdas

Abstract

Water supply systems are basically composed of water intake, adduction, treatment, reservation and distribution, and in each component there is a variable amount of water and energy loss, which is present in any supply system. Water losses, which divides into real and apparent, occurs along the whole structure, focusing on water distribution networks because of the amount of connections that lead to bigger losses. Seeking to reduce these losses, procedures and techniques can be applied. This research aimed to propose an appropriate protocol to help managers of small and medium-sized water supply systems control and reduce their loss rates. To develop the protocol, the following steps were carried out: diagnosing the system, evaluating existing methodologies and proposing a protocol for this goal. The proposed protocol demonstrates an ability to adapt to the system’s demands and the managers’ capability to apply it, and can bring significant impacts with its application, leading to an improvement in water and energy efficiency in water systems.

Keywords:
water supply systems; losses; protocol