Estudio y propuesta de desinfección natural del efluente de la planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales de Churuguzo, cantón Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract

Wastewater treatment is an issue of vital relevance in the world, due to the direct implications for public health and development. In Ecuador, the discharge of domestic wastewater into bodies of water without any treatment remains a major practice throughout the country, despite the incorporation of several treatment systems in its main cities in recent years. ETAPA, the municipal public institution in charge of environmental sanitation in Cuenca, has been a pioneer in the implementation of conventional and decentralized wastewater treatment systems in Ecuador. However, many facilities located in Cuenca’s rural areas operate with very low efficiency in disinfection and removal of organic matter. These rural systems, mostly made up of anaerobic processes, need to improve disinfection levels as effluents are discharged mainly into rivers and streams used for agricultural and livestock activities. This thesis presents a natural technological solution for disinfection and refinement of the effluent of the Churuguzo Wastewater Treatment Plant located in the parish of Victoria del Portete. Our design proposal will serve as an experimental pilot project of actual scale. First, through field visits and laboratory tests, we carried out an evaluation of the structural condition and operation of the existing plant, followed by a literature review of relevant technologies. With that information we created a decision matrix to evaluate and prioritize options. The preliminary structures were redesigned and the primary treatment structure was reused with the readjustment of the piping system. In the secondary treatment, the flow direction and distribution of the pipes in the constructed wetlands were modified. For the tertiary treatment, the selected technology (Vermifilter) was designed with materials and supplies available in the region. Our design proposal includes preliminary plans, a technical report, an operation and maintenance manual and a referential budget