Addressing Water Scarcity in Isla Huichas, Chile: A Tecno-Economic Sustainable Solution

Benjamín Borquez, José Ahumada, Michael Mendoza, Renny Guillén and Victor Contreras ()
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Benjamín Borquez: CMC Engineering, Plaza Justicia 59, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
José Ahumada: Institute of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Miraflores, General Lagos 2086, Valdivia 5110566, Chile
Michael Mendoza: Institute of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Miraflores, General Lagos 2086, Valdivia 5110566, Chile
Renny Guillén: Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Miraflores, General Lagos 2086, Valdivia 5110566, Chile
Victor Contreras: Institute of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Miraflores, General Lagos 2086, Valdivia 5110566, Chile

World, 2024, vol. 5, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Islas Huichas, located in Chile’s remote Aysén region, has long faced water scarcity due to a lack of natural sources. The community relies on rainwater collection pools managed by the Rural Drinking Water Committee (RDWC), which face increased pressure during the summer tourist season, leading to frequent shortages. In 2014, a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant with a 240 m 3 daily capacity was installed to address the issue. While the RO plant helps alleviate summer shortages, it has high energy costs and maintenance challenges, exceeding the financial capacity of the RDWC. This study evaluates various scenarios to reduce the plant’s operational costs and emissions reduction.

Keywords: water scarcity; reverse osmosis; water resource management; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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