Reaproveitamento e disposição final dos resíduos produzidos nas estações de tratamento de água na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Paraíba do Sul

Abstract

As a consequence of the population growth, the demand for drinking water has increased. This fact has caused the generation of waste in the so-called WTPs - Water Treatment Plants - to grow as well. In order for the water quality to meet our needs, it must go through a series of processes that generate waste, which must be properly managed so that it does not cause environmental damage. The study's main focus is to analyze the situation regarding the generation of WTP waste in the Paraíba do Sul River Basin, as well as the possibilities for its reuse and final disposal. More than 70 documents were consulted to identify the stations present in 57 municipalities of the basin, classifying them based on the type of treatment used for drinking water. Thus, four possible means of reuse and environmentally appropriate final disposal were mapped out in the municipalities analyzed: nurseries, ceramics factories, sewage treatment plants, and landfills. The results of the study show that of the total WTPs found in the watershed more than 90% are producers of WTP residues and that only 7% perform their treatment. More than 200 destinations were located as options for the application of the waste generated, where of the total number of municipalities analyzed, more than 80% could reuse them or dispose of them adequately considering at least one of the options.