Estimation of residential consumption of water, electric power and generation of solid waste for the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, using existing models

Abstract

Previous studies have verified the relationship between economic issues and water and energy consumption and the generation of solid waste. Estimating these parameters can help in formulating public policies, making decisions regarding environmental protection, etc. Thus, the objectives of this study were: i) correlational socioeconomic aspects of the population sampled in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and their domestic consumption of water and electricity, as well as generation of solid waste through models developed in studies previous; ii) make a comparison with current real data presented by the bodies responsible for the management and handling of water, energy and solid waste. It was found that the models need to be recalibrated. However, per capita estimates of water consumption and solid waste generation presented values associated with those recorded by the responsible bodies, in all economic classes evaluated. Although it has been verified that the model needs recalibration, the present study is the first step towards resuming work with this approach. The use of studied models would facilitate analysis and decision-making in the provision of services related to water and energy consumption, as well as the generation of solid waste.