Avaliação das condições operacionais de uma rede de abastecimento de água com uso do software EPANET 2.0

Abstract

With the growth of cities and consequent increase in water and electricity consumption, it is necessary to improve projects and the operation of the different units that make up the water supply systems. In relation to the water distribution networks, its dimensioning and functioning can be evaluated, with the proposal of possible improvements, based on the hydraulic simulation developed in software such as EPANET 2.0. In this work, a hydraulic simulation of a distribution network that is part of a water supply subsystem with underground catchment was developed, with the objective of evaluating the variation in reservoir levels, so that the network meets the conditions of determined pressures by NBR 12218 (ABNT, 2017). Currently, the operating level variation of the reservoir is 45 centimeters, and the pump set remains on between 16 and 18 hours a day. To analyze the pressure in the distribution network, several simulations were carried out, varying the level of the reservoir, where the pumping system was programmed to turn on when it reached the minimum level and turn off when it reached the maximum level. Thus, it was determined that the minimum level, on days when the reservoir only serves the distribution network directly associated with it, was 2.1 meters, which represents an operating level variation of 1.47 meters, situation where the pump remains on for 14 hours. On the days when water is exported from the reservoir under study to another water supply subsystem in the municipality, the minimum level rose to 2.3 meters and the pump operated for 16 hours. In both simulations, controls were programmed so that the pumping system would not operate during peak hours, when the energy cost is higher, resulting in a reduction of 2 hours of operation in relation to the current operation.