Water Supply Systems

Contents
1. Important Terms
2. Water Supply System
3. Requirements of Good Distribution System
4. Layout
5. Single and Dual Piping Systems
a. Working
b. Advantages
c. Disadvantages
6. Gravity Water Supply System
a. Working
b. Advantages
c. Disadvantages
7. Hydro Pneumatic Water Supply System
a. Working
b. Advantages
c. Disadvantages
Important Terms
➔ Reclaimed Water: Recycled water that can be used for irrigation in public parks,
sports facilities, fire protection , toilet flushing, mixing concrete mix, etc.
➔ Potable Water: Water that is suitable for human consumption, food
preparation, utensil washing and oral hygiene.
➔ Backflow: Backflow is the unplanned reversal of flow of water (or water and
contaminants) into the water supply system.
Water Supply System
➔ An infrastructure for the collection, transmission, treatment, storage, and
distribution of water.
➔ A system is created for:
◆ Homes
◆ Commercial establishments
◆ Industry
◆ Irrigation
Requirements of Good Distribution System
1. Water quality should not get deteriorated in the distribution pipes.
2. It should be capable of supplying water at all the intended places with sufficient
pressure head.
3. It should be capable of supplying the requisite amount of water during fire
fighting.
Layout
1. The layout should be such that no consumer would be without water supply,
during the repair of any section of the system. An isolating valve must be fitted
at the point of connection to allow for maintenance and repair of the building’s
water supply system if required.
2. All the distribution pipes should be preferably laid one metre away or above
the sewer lines.
3. It should be fairly watertight as to keep losses due to leakage to the minimum.
4. The system must be designed and used to prevent contamination from
backflow.
Single Piping
Supply

➔ A single- main
system is one in
which a single
main (pipe)
serves both
sides of a street.
Advantages
➔ Inexpensive.
➔ Easy to lay down, even on a larger scale.
➔ Easy to maintain.
Disadvantages
➔ Doesn’t ease the water scarcity problem.
➔ Causes inconvenience during the repair of any section of the system.
➔ Potable and non- potable water are supplied through the same pipe causing
severe health concerns.
Dual Piping Supply
➔ Dual piping is a system of plumbing
installations used to supply both potable
and reclaimed water to a home or
business.
➔ The systems are designed as two
separate pipe networks:
◆ A potable water distribution system
◆ A reclaimed water distribution system
➔ This system prevents mixing of the two
water supplies, which is undesirable,
since reclaimed water is usually not
intended for human consumption.
Difference between potable and non- potable water supply system

➔ The potable- water or primary ➔ The non- potable water is often

system operates like any other referred to as a secondary system
potable-water supply and and distributes water from
distribution system, requiring a non-potable sources such as
water source, treatment plant, seawater or household gray
storage facility, and distribution water.
system. ➔ This system may include
➔ These systems generally require distribution pipes, valves,
pumps to lift potable water from hydrants, standpipes, a pumping
the treatment plant to storage system, and, if required,
tanks from which it is distributed treatment and storage.
by gravity to the point of use.
Conclusion
➔ The potable system has no fire hydrants and in most cases will use smaller-size
distribution lines, smaller, high service pumps, and require less storage.
➔ The non-potable water system is used for firefighting.
➔ The other big difference is a non-potable system uses less treatment.
➔ A fine screen or strainer is used to keep particles out.
➔ The non-potable system also may need pH adjustment.
Advantages
➔ In- expensive and can be constructed using locally available technology.
➔ Eases the water scarcity problem not only at the household level but also
throughout the city.
➔ Use of cheaper sources of water for non-consumptive purposes.
Disadvantages
➔ Poor water quality.
◆ Water drawn from alternative sources may not be used for drinking even after boiling because
of odours and tastes associated with groundwater. Further, such water may pose severe health
hazards if the abstraction point is located too close to septic tank outflows.
◆ The possible high nitrate concentrations and bacterial levels that may be present in surficial
groundwaters may also lead to health hazards when used by poor people and children for
drinking purposes.
➔ Almost double the cost of a single system.
➔ Having non- potable water in a distribution system creates a potential to cross-
contaminate the potable water system.
Disadvantages
➔ Seawater can be highly corrosive to metal pipes, fittings, and appurtenances; it
increases maintenance costs associated with distribution lines and affects
toilet and other metal fixtures that come into contact with the water.
➔ If return flows enter the wastewater stream, the introduction of large volumes
of seawater to treatment plants make sewage treatment more difficult since
the salts can impair the effectiveness of activated sludge reactors or rotating
biofilters.
Gravity Supply
➔ A simple water supply system that utilizes potential energy (gravity) for
transmission.
➔ Suitable where water source is at sufficient height.
➔ Waterhead available is of minimum requirement.
Advantages
➔ Reliable and cost effective .
➔ No external power is required to maintain the flow.
➔ Low maintenance.
➔ Low cost water treatment methods can be adopted with higher efficiency.
➔ Reduces workload on women and children to fetch water.
➔ Easier to construct.

Hence very efficient in Rural Areas.

Disadvantages
➔ Difficult terrain can restrict pipe- laying.
➔ Water sources are not always found on a higher ground.
➔ Many sites do not have the required slope for a workable distribution system.
Mughal Garden,
Achabal, Jammu

➔ Pipes laid down

by localites in
the stream.
➔ Water is
distributed with
the help of the
slope of the site.
What is Hydro Pneumatic
Hydro Pneumatic Supply
➔ If you want to ensure that you can control the pressure and supply of water
from your plumbing system within your home or building, a hydro pneumatic
system will be required.
➔ In some older plumbing systems, the distribution of water from the storage tank
is done by an over head tank which uses gravity to send water to the various
taps and outlets.
➔ With a pneumatic system, there is no need for an overhead tank as these
systems include a pump that sends water directly to where it needs to be.
Hydro Pneumatic Supply
➔ This systems can be classified into 3 types:
◆ Tank Feeding Systems: These are typically used to fill up different overhead tanks
from one central tank.
◆ Tap Feeding Systems: These are used where all the taps are supplied with
pressurized water from the central tank.
◆ Curing Systems: These are used during construction period for curing purpose. With
this huge amount of water is saved.
Application of Hydro Pneumatic Supply
➔ Domestic water supply
➔ Residential & commercial buildings
➔ Irrigation of small farms
➔ Hotels, Resorts, bungalows, Villas, apartments etc.
➔ Horticulture irrigation
Advantages
➔ No heavy overhead water tanks are required.
➔ Specific hydro pneumatic system design can provide water at certain pressures
unlike a regular water supply system.
➔ Energy consumption is less than that of a traditional system.
➔ Smooth and controlled performance.
➔ Automatic.
➔ Optimisation of water and energy.
➔ Avoids unnecessary running of pump at no flow requirements.
Disadvantages
➔ If there is no power, there will be no access to water as the pump will not be
able to work.
➔ It is often advised that backup power is considered when installing one of these
systems. It is important to ensure that only a professional plumber or water
system supplier handles the installation of your hydro pneumatic system.