Urban drainage modeling and evaluation of bacteriological loads in the Vertente Marítima of Fortaleza, Ceará

ABSTRACT Urban drainage systems can represent sources of pollutants input to the receiving bodies for which they are intended. Therefore, the present work aims to propose a tool for modeling the urban drainage system of the Vertente Marítima basin of Fortaleza, Ceará, aiming at the evaluation of bacteriological loads. For this purpose, the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) was selected for the hydrological and hydraulic simulations; a methodology for the calculation of bacteriological loads was proposed by estimating the diffuse load [DL] (MPN, day-1.ha-1) and its correlation with a series of hydro-environmental variables and scenarios for different pluviometry precipitation conditions were analyzed, as well as sewage collection and inadequately disposed solid waste (IDSW). The results show that SWMM gives representative results and that the rainy season is responsible for the greater contribution of the bacteriological load to the seafront. Regarding the predictive model, a second-order potential function was adjusted by correlating DL with the average monthly precipitation (mm.day-1) for the three sub-basins analyzed. Subsequently, the coefficients of the equations found were correlated to IDSW (kg.day-1), obtaining a logarithmic adjustment (R2 = 0.99), with which it is possible to obtain a DL estimation equation for any sub-basin of Vertente Marítima. An analysis of the scenarios showed a significant increase of the load in extreme precipitations (twice) and a considerable decrease with the increase of the fraction of the population connected to the sewage network and the decrease of IDSW production (0.28 and 0.38 times the initial value in the Jacarecanga and Maceió Stream, respectively).