Análise de disponibilidade hídrica na microbacia do Ribeirão Paciência: relação entre a oferta e o volume de água outorgado em Pará de Minas

Abstract

In Brazil, about 37% of all treated water is wasted, which is a major management problem facing the water crisis that has intensified in recent years. Grants the right to use water resources are important management tools to control the amount and time use of water for different purposes, ensuring equal access to all. In recent years, some regions of Brazil, including the Southeast, have to live with the problem of drought. In Pará de Minas’ region it was no different: prolonged periods of drought resulted in a decrease of available water resources. For that reason, the city went through a period of rationing between August 19, 2013 and December 2015. Therefore, this article aims to evaluate: (1) if the amount of grants awarded for use of water resources in the Patience Stream microbasin, Pará de Minas city, results in excessive pressure on the spring; (2) if the volume of water microbasin is sufficient to maintain the balance between supply and demand relating to grants awarded in addition to the maintenance of public supply. The methodology was based on the survey of grants awarded for use of water resources in the city of Pará de Minas. These data were taken from SEMAD portal – Secretary of State for the Environment and Sustainable Development in the period 2010 to 2015. The information was classified in Agricultural use, Industrial, Mineral, Rural, etc. and permits for water abstraction, in surface or underground. From the analysis of the results it was observed that most of the grants are awarded for city companies; the reason is the great importance of water in the industrial sector. Grants for individuals for funding in rural and urban areas are smaller, but by no means insignificants. Regarding the public supply, the amount of available water is within the limit to meet the population’s needs and maintaining the ecosystem. It was observed that the water available in the springs with the help of the coming waters of the Paraopeba River managed to maintain the supply of the city, briefly solving the problem of rationing. However, the increase in population, size of the growth of industries and lack of conservation investments result in increasing pressure on water resources. Therefore, that solution to the problem is question may not be sufficient in the long run, again resulting in the lack of water in the city. Thus, there is the need for a supply plan that has a legal interface and environmental management to maintain an adequate and effective protection of springs, trying to minimize the impacts, improve quality and increase quantity of water in them.