Optimización del sistema de abastecimiento de agua potable del barrio La Calera, cantón Latacunga

Abstract

The potable water supply system in the La Calera neighborhood faces issues of leaks and inadequate pressures, leading to areas without supply. This research aims to redesign the distribution system to mitigate these problems. The components of the current system were evaluated using technical design software, and the designs were modeled in a hydraulic simulator. These parameters were employed to propose a design using the current regulations in our country. The results of the existing analysis show very low pressures, between 2.02 and 6.46 meters of water column (mwc), whereas the regulations establish a minimum of 10 mwc in the high zone. The recorded velocities range from 0.04 m/s to 0.227 m/s, below the regulatory minimum of 0.3 m/s. A redesign was proposed for 30 years, considering a population growth up to 5,774 inhabitants. This includes the separation into two independent networks, divided by the main road of the neighborhood. A new storage tank with a capacity of 460.46 cubic meters was calculated, which, together with the existing tank of 196.99 cubic meters, makes up the required volume. Each network will be supplied by one tank, resolving the current issues in the network. As a result, the modeling identified a new pressure pattern in La Calera. Network 1 showed minimum pressures between 3.51 and 6.41 mwc, with problems in 5 out of 32 nodes. Network 2 had one problematic node out of 52, with less than 10 mwc. The minimum global velocity was 0.120 m/s.