Rediseño de la planta potabilizadora de agua para consumo humano en el Terminal de Productos Limpios (EP-PETROECUADOR), cantón Riobamba, provincia de Chimborazo.

Abstract

The present work consisted on the redesign of a drinking water treatment system at the Clean Products Terminal of the Public Petroleum Company PETROECUADOR, located in Riobamba canton, Chimborazo province, in order to obtain a quality water resource that complies with the requirements for human consumption. It began with the sampling the preliminary microbiological, physicochemical and microbiological analyzes of the water based on the Standard Methods at the Laboratory of Quality Control of the System of Drinking Water Treatment “CHAQUISHCA”; the results indicated that the non-standard parameters are: Turbidity with 5,37 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU); Nitrites with 0,007 mg/L; Phosphates with 0,71 mg/L; Total Iron with 0,5 mg/L; Manganese with 0,498 mg/L; Total Hardness with 357,2 mg/L; Total coliforms with 55 NMP/100 mL, and fecal coliforms with 15 NMP/100 mL. Treatability test were carried out to the 15 ppm Aluminum Polychloride (APC) dose with an anionic auxiliary CHEMFLOC 6 ppm, concentration required to decrease Turbidity values, Calcium Hypochlorite (HTH) was also used, with a concentration of 1 ppm to eliminate microbiological contaminants. It was concluded with the redesign, it will consist of an aeration system, followed by a high rate sedimentation unit, a coarse filter, a slow descending filter, two softening filters, and finally the disinfection tank. The validation tests of the proposed treatment indicate that a removal of 92,80% in turbidity is obtained; 78,87% in phosphates; 84,00% in iron; 98,19% in manganese; 88,24% in hardness; while total fecal coliforms, and nitrites are completely removed. It is recommended to comply with the operation and maintenance manual to conserve the structures.