HYDRAULICS IN BOGOTA - FROM WATER CAPTURE TO DISPOSAL

70.8% of the planet earth is occupied by water, but only 2.5% of all water on the planet is fresh water that is fit for human consumption.

SUMMARY

Water in Bogota comes from Chingaza, a national reservoir where water comes out from the earth and then is sent through pipes to another reservoir called Francisco Weisner for bacteria removal and to filter it and finally its sent again through pipes to peoples homes by the Water and Sewage Company from Bogota (EAAB). From the total of water people receive, 90% is disposed in the sewage system. That water goes to the Plant of sewage El Salitre to then get to the Bogota River.

Key words: macro measurement, metering coagulation, hydraulic, jump, Filtration, disinfection, siphon

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM IN BOGOTA

Chingaza system was investigated by Mr. Francisco Wiesner who projected a gravity system to supply with pure water the capital city of Bogota in which he designed the dam Chuza and Golillas in which he captured all the waters of the moor and its nearby channels. 99% of the park area is located in the Orinoco river basin in the upper basins of the Black and White rivers Guatiqua, Guacava, Gazaunta, Gazamumo, Humea and Guavio and 1% in the Magdalena river represented by the head of the San Lorenzo valley, in the municipality La Calera which an affluent of the Teusac and Siecha River in the Municipality of Guasca. Those small rivers reach to the rivers Bogot, Siecha and Tomine in the Hoya del Magdalena.

In the heart of Chingaza are about 40 natural lakes of glacial origin. The largest lagoon is the one located in the southwest of Chingaza Park at an altitude of 3250 meters and is one of the most representative and most cultural significance to the area as Siecha lagoons, which are a group of three lagoons located in the municipality of Guasca

The reservoir of Chuza is also located within Chingaza Park in the basin of the river Chuza, is the center of the Chingaza System from the Water and Sewage Company of Bogota. Chingaza provides 80% of high quality drinking water to the citizens of Bogota, which is displaced by the tunnels of Chingaza between the Andes Mountains which reaches the plant Francisco Wiesner through a siphon to prevent the plant from bursting with the fall and water velocity.

This plant or reservoir known as St. Raphael is an unconventional plant which captures, has hydraulic jump, application of coagulants, filtration, disinfection and is run through the tunnel to the Santa Ana tank which leads to the tank of Usaqun which follows 2 lines of pipes, one 60" throughout the 30 avenue to the south and the other of 78" to the south across the Boyac Avenue. The other is the express line that comes out from Wiesner to Vitelma plant which supplies the tanks in the south east of the city.

Its important to clarify that we also have the water treatment plant TIBITOC which produces 5m3 per second of drinkable water and comes from the savannah of Bogota in an express line through the main highway, however we have the reservoir REGADERA which distributes the water to the plants in the south that are LAGUNA, YOMASA, and DORADO which treats and distributes water to the citizens who live in the south of the city.

These waters are transported by parent networks and become secondary networks to manage the pressure to decrease the speed of the flow and provide the right pressure to the peoples homes.

Its important to say that the EAAB-ESP responds on damages and guarantees only 15mts water column, thereafter people must have a hydro pneumatic pump for people who live above from a third floor. There is a delimitation of the water supply network in independent service areas and isolated from each other in which it is possible to optimize Macro measurements pressures in order to verify clandestine pipes or loss of water through macro and micro measurements. It should be taken into account the pressure control every 35 meters with respect to the topographic difference.

From the 100% of the water entering the residence 90% is discarded and wasted into the sewer system which is transported by gravity through the city and reach the PLANT OF SEWAGE TREATMENT EL SALITRE which treats water and rises from an elevation of arrival at a level of output in order to pass for a decanter sludge and run it through the disinfection process in which I it decreases the load of water pollutants such as heavy metals, COD, BOD in order to throw as less contaminants as possible to the Bogota river which ends in the Magdalena River.

CONCLUSIONS

To be able to have one of the most drinkable waters in the world the EAAB is making a lot of efforts to preserve the national park Chingaza and to treat its water.

There is still a lot to be done to teach people on how much they have to take care of water because we are wasting without having in mind how many people will need it in the close future.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.acueducto.com.co http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agua_potable_y_saneamiento_en_Colombia http://www.andesco.org.co/site/pages/acueducto_y_alcantarillado.html