Integral optimization of the Quebrada La Honda water supply system: social and financial impacts in Villavicencio, Meta

Context: Access to drinking water is essential for human development and is considered a universal right. In Colombia, regulations establish the characteristics and standards to ensure its quality as a domiciliary public service, including physicochemical properties of water and design criteria for hydraulic infrastructures. Objective: to evaluate the aqueduct system in the Quebrada La Honda sector in Villavicencio, Meta, to propose solutions to improve its infrastructure. Methodology: an exhaustive review of technical documents, previous studies and regulations, as well as surveys and interviews with the local community were carried out to evaluate the social impact of the collapse of the aqueduct system. Development: The study identified significant problems in the adduction system from Quebrada La Honda to the La Esmeralda Drinking Water Treatment Plant, including the undersizing of the intake and the vulnerability of the infrastructure to natural phenomena. Service interruptions negatively affect the local quality of life. Conclusion: It is proposed to redesign the intake and use ductile steel pipes to improve the durability and efficiency of the system, also recommending the implementation of a continuous surveillance and monitoring system to ensure long-term sustainability.