Optimización del proceso de producción de agua de la embotelladora Aqua Clara del cantón Pelileo, provincia de Tungurahua.

Abstract

The objective of the present project was the optimization of the water production process of the “Aqua Clara” bottler of Pelileo canton, Tungurahua province in order to improve the process the process of purification of water complying with stipulated in the Ecuadorian technical standard 2200:08. Purified water making it optimal for human consumption. The physical-chemical and microbiological catacterization was carried out to a sample of bottled water, following the procedures contemplated in the standard methods and the HACH process manual, using gravimetric, volumetric, and instrumental techniques. The results obtained after the initial characterization showed that the following parameters were outside the maximum permissible limit: color 11 UTC, turbidity 5 NTU, residual chlorine residual 0.06 mg/L, hardeness 293.3 mg/L, total coliform 1287,9 CFU/100mL and aerobic mesophylls >100 CFU/mL. Based on these data, an Optimization System is proposed through treatability test, obtaining the following results: 0.1 UTC color, turbidity 1 NTU, residual free chlorine 0 mg/L, hardness 29.3 mg/L, total coliforms <1 CFU/100mL and aerobic mesophylls <100 CFU/mL as established by NTE 2200:08. It is concluded that the optimization system will improve the water production line in the “Aqua Clara” Bottling Plant and it is only carried out based on the disinfection process to assure the quality of the water. A new treatment alternative is provided as follows: sediment filters, cationic resin filters, disinfection, activated charcoal filters, ozonation, ultraviolet light and packaging. Finally, the “Aqua Clara” bottling plant is recommended to start the proposed treatment system to guarantee the quality of the bottled water and thus provide security to consumers.