Evaluación técnica y operativa de la planta de tratamiento de agua potable “La Loma” del cantón Nabón, provincia del Azuay

Abstract

The evaluation was executed through five stages; In the first stage, a database was prepared with information provided by the Nabón administration office. In the second stage, a monitoring of the flow and the quality of the water in the PTAP was carried out, in addition, the behavior of residual chlorine was monitored through the distribution network. In the third stage, the historical data and data collected in the field were analyzed, to then study the behavior of the variables over time. Each of these parameters were compared with the INEN 1108 standard. During the fourth stage, the operation of the treatment units was evaluated. Finally, in the fifth stage, it was confirmed whether the design of the PTAP was executed in accordance with the provisions of the CPE INEN 005-9-1 standard. In addition, during each stage, the activities performed by the operators with respect to the management of the plant were identified. The results of this work showed that most of the time, the analyzed water quality parameters comply with the INEN 1108 standard, while the concentration of residual chlorine in the distribution network is affected as the distance to the plant increases. The treatment units appear to be not very efficient in the removal of certain parameters since during the monitoring, their concentration increased. Through the projection of the study population to 20 years and the hydraulic determination of the PTAP, it was verified that it is necessary to repower it and capture an additional flow of around 6.5 L/s to cover the supply of drinking water to the entire population of the study area and counteract the current deficiency that occurs in dry seasons. On the other hand, the need to carry out a complete maintenance of the plant structures and personnel training was evidenced, due to the shortcomings currently found.