Chapter 6: Distribution System Design

Chapter 6 Key Concepts:

- Water work standards for distribution systems
- Distribution system design
- Water storage design

Water supply, storage, pumps, mains, and service connections are all part of the general
layout of a distribution system. It is often an engineer’s job to design a suitable and valid
distribution system for a particular water system. The engineer must follow regulations and
general distribution guidelines while designing the various components of a distribution system.

Regulatory Standards for Distribution Systems (California Regulations p. 169-188)

A regulation containing comprehensive distribution system standards has not been
published or passed on the federal level. It is mainly up to individual states to set regulatory
standards for distribution systems. California outlines distribution system regulations in its Title
22 Code of Regulations under Chapter 16: California Waterworks Standards. The California
regulations are related to quantity of supply, source capacity, reservoir design, system pressure,
water mains, flushing, valves, and other distribution appurtenances. Besides regulations, other
details and recommendations are considered when designing a distribution system. Important
details, recommendations and regulations are outlined below.

General Considerations and Recommendations for Distribution Systems

• Should be free of structural and sanitary hazards
• Protect the distribution system against contamination by backflow
• Withstand, with ample safety factors, the physical stresses imposed during normal
operation
• Minimize the effects of events such as:
o Power supply failure (i.e. back up generator)
o Equipment failure (i.e. multiple pumps)
o Structural failures

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 o Earthquakes, Fires, Floods
o Sabotage that is reasonably foreseeable
• Protect against unauthorized entry and/or vandalism (i.e. fence, security system, alarms)
• Protect against freezing weather – Most pipe breaks occur in winter for CA and USA

Quantity of Supply Requirements and Determining Source Capacity

Distribution systems are required to have sufficient water sources and distribution
reservoirs to meet the water system’s maximum demand conditions. Maximum day demand
(MDD) is the water utilized during the highest day of use in a year and peak hour demand (PHD)
is the water utilized during the highest hour of use during the maximum day. Generally, a water
system must be able to meet the MDD for a 24 hour period and the PHD for a 4 hour period.
Total source capacity, total storage volume, and the total number of service connections are used
to determine if all requirements are met.
Total source capacity means the total amount of water available, expressed as a flow,
from all active groundwater, surface water, and purchased water. Here are guidelines for
determining total source capacity:
• The source capacity of a well shall be based on the sustained yield of the well or pump
output, whichever is less.
• The source capacity of a surface water supply or a spring shall be the lowest anticipated
daily yield, based on adequately supported and documented data.
• The source capacity of a purchased water connection between two public water systems
shall be included in the total source capacity.
• Where the capacity of a source varies seasonally, the source capacity shall be the capacity
at the time of maximum day demand.

System Pressure Requirements

The maximum pressure requirement is typically 48 psi. Compliance with maximum
pressure requirements for pressure zones is determined from the total water supply available
from the water sources and inter-zonal transfers directly supplying the zone. Distribution
systems are designed to maintain an operating pressure at all service connections of at least 20
psi. The pressure is determined from user maximum hour demand or user average day demand

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plus design fire flow, whichever is lower. Often users cannot meet the 20 psi requirement and
water suppliers may furnish a service to a user which does not comply with a user's agreement in
writing. Also, expensive hydropneumatic pumps can be used to get 20 psi to individual
properties. Water mains must be designed to have at least 5 psi pressure throughout mainly to
prevent bacterial growth in the distribution system.

Basic Design Requirements for Distribution Reservoirs

• Distribution reservoirs must be covered.
• Vents, overflows, drain outlets and other reservoir openings must be located and
constructed to protect the water stored in the reservoir from contamination. To help
prevent contamination, vents and overflows must be screened and vents must not open
upward.
• Overflows must be large enough to dispose of reservoir overflow rates equal to the
maximum reservoir filling rate
• Provisions must be made to facilitate removal of floating material from the free water
surface and for dewatering the reservoir.
• Outlets must minimize movement of sediment from the reservoir floor to the distribution
system water mains by being located near the top of the reservoir.
• Provisions must be made for isolating reservoirs and appurtenant facilities from the
distribution system.
• Sites must not be used for non-water works purposes that would:
o Result in unrestricted public access
o Create a contamination hazard
• Reservoirs must be disinfected and sampled once a month for bacteriological quality in
accordance with AWWA procedures.

Water Main Characteristics and Requirements

Layout of Water Mains
Water mains should be laid out only in segmented grids and loops and should be located
within streets. A segmented grid system minimizes the effect of water main breaks by allowing
the break to be isolated. Dead-end water mains should only be installed if:

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 • Looping or gridding is impractical due to topography, geology, pressure zone boundaries,
unavailability of easements or locations of users; or
• The main is to be extended in the near future and the planned extension will eliminate the
dead-end conditions.
Minimum Diameter and Length of Water Mains
• Water mains shall have a nominal inside diameter of at least 4 inches.
• Dead-end water mains exceeding 1,000 feet in length shall be constructed of pipe with a
nominal inside diameter of at least 6 inches.
• Dead-end water mains exceeding 2,000 feet in length shall be constructed of pipe with a
nominal inside diameter of at least 8 inches.
Installation Requirements for Water Mains
Water mains must be installed below the frostline or be protected from freezing. Also
there must be at least 30 inches of cover over the top of the pipe. Typically water mains are
about 4 to 5 feet below streets.
Water mains must be installed at least:
• Ten feet horizontally from and 1 foot higher than sanitary sewers located parallel to the
main.
• One foot higher than sanitary sewers crossing the main.
• Ten feet and preferably 25 feet, horizontally from sewage leach fields, cesspools, seepage
pits and septic tanks.
Lesser separation than the required separation is permissible if contamination of the water
in the main by sewer leakage is prevented by proper construction and installation, and adequate
separation. Water mains must be disinfected before being placed in service.

Air and Vacuum Relief and Air Release Valves for Water Mains
Vent openings for air and vacuum relief and air release valves must be:
• Extended at least one foot above grade and above maximum recorded high water.
• Provided with a screened, downward facing vent opening.
Where the requirements cannot be practicably met, vent openings may be located in a subsurface
chamber or pit under the following conditions:
• The pit is adequately drained to prevent bacterial growth.

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 • The pit drain is not connected by pipe or other closed conduit to a sewer or storm drain
without an air gap separation.

Requirements for other Appurtenances

• Water main joints must be able to withstand the same working pressures for which the
water main is designed. Jute, an old material used, must not be used as back up gasket
material.
• Fire hydrant laterals must be provided with shut off valves.
• Flushing valves and blowoffs must be installed at the end of each dead-end water main.
Blowoffs are located at the bottom of a water line.
• Flushing systems must be designed to be able to handle a maximum flow velocity of at
least 5 ft/s.

Distribution system components (Troubleshooting Guide)

Figure 1: A typical SWS distribution system (Troubleshooting Guide p. 1-1)

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Valves
The most common valves are gate valves, butterfly valves, and globe valves (see Figure
2). Gate valves and butterfly valves are types of shut off valves, which completely stop the flow
of water automatically or intentionally. The gate valve is preferred and used more commonly
than the butterfly valve. Globe valves are capable of controlling the flow rate as well as shutting
off all water flow. However, they are typically expensive relative to shut off valves.

Figure 2: Commonly used distribution system valves (Troubleshooting Guide p. 6-3)

Valve Type Description Diagram of Valve
Swing Swing check
Check Valve valves keep
pressure in the
water system even
if pumps fail or are
shut off.

Air Release Air release valves

Valve have a vent to
release air and
operate very
similar to a toilet in
reverse.

Double Double check

Check Valve valves are used to
prevent backflow,
but are not used
commonly and do
not perform as
well as other
backflow
prevention
devices.

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Pressure Pressure
Regulating regulating valves
Valve are used to
change a given
pressure to a
desired pressure
in a water system.
They are
commonly used
for gravity flow
systems to
minimize pressure
and pipe size.
Altitude Altitude valves are
Valve used to close a
storage tank when
a certain set point
or altitude is
reached. The
pump to the
storage tank also
shuts off at this
time. An
accompanying
check valve allows
water to be fed to
the system by
gravity when
demanded.
Pressure Pressure reducing
Reducing valves are
Valve typically required
for water systems
where the
municipal water
mains exceed 80
psi of pressure.
Higher pressures
could rupture
pipes, damage
fixtures, and injure
the people using
them.

Table 1: Less commonly used distribution system valves (Troubleshooting Guide)

Water meters
Water meters are used to measure total flow and water use of a water system. Also water
meters are often placed at individual users to measure water consumption. As water meters get
older there is slower rotation of the disk which measures water flow. Typically, water systems

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are very interested in updating water meters to get the fastest disk rotation and more revenue
from users.

Figure 3: Example of a Water Meter (Troubleshooting Guide p. 3-11)

Water pipe couplings

Pipe couplings are used to connect two pieces of pipe or to repair a water pipe. Different
sized pipe can be connected using certain pipe couplings. To repair pipe, couplings can also to
be used to cover cracks or small openings. A saddle is used for small cracks such as in concrete
and a clamp is used for bigger cracks (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: Pipe couplings – Same sized pipe connector (left); Saddle (center); Clamp (right)

Field locking pipe gasket bells and spigots

Field locking gaskets are commonly
used to restrain joints at high stress points
along the distribution system. Restraining
joints are particularly important in areas
susceptible to earthquakes.

Figure 5: Field lock gasket

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Service lateral design
The water system is responsible for the installation and maintenance of the service lateral
pipe, which is shown below. The user is responsible for and owns the pipe after the water meter
to the user.

Figure 6: Typical design of a service lateral (Troubleshooting Guide p. 6-2)

Backflow prevention devices

To prevent backflow from a storage tank, the inlet should be separated at least twice the
pipe diameter from the opening of the storage tank (see Figure 7).

Figure 7: Diagram of a backflow prevention device at a storage tank inlet 40 (Troubleshooting Guide p. 7-2)

Reduced pressure zone (RPZ) backflow preventer

RPZ backflow preventers use mechanical air to help insure there is no backflow. They
are often required for factories, schools, parks, and irrigation where standards are more stringent,
but also can be used for households.

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 Figure 8: Diagram of a RPZ backflow preventer 40 (Troubleshooting Guide p. 7-4)

Tanks and other Storage

Storage tanks can either be on the ground or elevated (see Figure 9). Elevated storage
tanks which are often called water towers allow for gravity flow when there is no natural
elevation. However there are added structural risks in using elevated storage tanks, especially in
areas susceptible to earthquakes such as California. Ground storage tanks are used most
commonly because they are more reliable and cheaper. Most water towers are used in the
Midwest where it is flat and earthquakes are rare.

Figure 9: Storage tanks on the ground and elevated

Ground storage tanks contain many components that play key roles in its operation (see
Figure 6). It is essential for the diameter of the air vent to be at least four times greater than the
water outlet diameter. This prevents a vacuum from forming in the tank that can cause
implosion. Ninety percent of tanks have a common inlet and outlet pipe, which is not
recommended because separate inlet and outlet pipes promote good water circulation.

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 Figure 6: Storage tank example with labeled components
Hydropneumatic tanks (see Figure 7) are generally smaller than storage tanks and are
placed to after the water pump and before the water grid.

Figure 7: Diagram of typical hydropneumatic tank system 40 (Troubleshooting Guide p. 5-3)

A cistern (see Figure 8) is a reservoir of water usually placed underground for structural
security and to lower cost. Cisterns are mainly used in developing or foreign countries and are
good in wet or tropical areas to harvest rainwater.

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 Figure 8: Diagram of typical cistern

Pumps
Positive displacement pumps are mainly used to feed chemicals into the water system,
because they insure that no back flow will occur. The peristaltic positive displacement pump
(see Figure 9) has a hefty suction lift that can achieve 200 psi.

Figure 9: Two types of positive displacement pumps 40 (Troubleshooting Guide p. 4-2)

Vertical turbine can pumps are the most commonly used pumps in distribution systems.
They are mainly used in booster stations to lift water to reservoirs and storage tanks. In a
vertical turbine can pump, a combination of pump bowls and centrifugal pumps are used for high
or low lift applications.

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 Figure 10: Vertical turbine can pump
Horizontal centrifugal pumps are typically used for low pressure applications and are not as
common as vertical turbine can pumps. Multiple stage versions are available for higher pressure
applications. The horizontal centrifugal pump acts as a 2-way pump without a check valve.
Generally the split case horizontal centrifugal pump (see Figure 11) is not recommended because
the design is hard on the bearings.

Figure 11: Close coupled (left) 41 and split case (right) 42 horizontal centrifugal pumps
(Maintaining Irrigation Pumps) and (Irrigation Water Management)

Fire hydrants
Dry barrel hydrants are the most common fire hydrants and get their name because water
is drained from the hydrant barrel after every use (see Figure 12). There are smaller hydrants
called blow off hydrants that are not suitable for fire use and are generally used in low water use
areas.

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 Figure 12: Types of dry barrel hydrants 40 (Troubleshooting Guide p. 6-4)

Distribution System Design

Typical Layout of a SWS Distribution System
Well pumps and pump stations bring water to storage tanks. Storage is placed at a higher
elevation than the elevation of the community in order to utilize gravity flow. Pressure change
can be related to elevation change with the value 0.433 psi/ft. Hydropneumatic tanks are
typically used to adjust pressure to the 20 psi minimum. Besides a pressure regulating valve
another option to minimize pressure is to use a storage tank with an altitude valve.

Figure 13: Example of a SWS distribution system design/layout showing changes in elevation

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 Example Calculation #1: Distribution System Pressure
A storage tank is at an elevation of 350 feet and provides water to a community with a maximum
elevation of 278 feet. Is a hydropneumatic tank required for this distribution system?
• The storage tank must provide a minimum pressure of 20 psi to all users. Therefore user
highest elevation in the community is chosen to determine the elevation difference
Elevation Change = 350 feet − 278 feet = 72 feet
• Determine if the minimum pressure change is greater or equal to 20 psi
Minimum Pr essure Change = 0.433 psi / ft × 72 feet = 31.176 psi ≥ 20 psi

• Therefore, a hydropneumatic tank is not required to raise the pressure for this system

Fire Hydrant Design

When designing a distribution system, proper fire hydrant design is essential for an
adequate fire protection system. The design criteria for fire hydrants are highly dependent on
local rules. Hydrant separation, hydrant sizing, and minimum hydrant flow are mainly set by
city or county departments.
There is generally 350 to 450 feet of separation between fire hydrants. Hydrant
separation criteria can be dependent on fire flow requirements, number of hydrants, and distance
from the street to the hydrant.
Example Design Criteria: Hydrant sizing and minimum flow of Ventura County in California 43
(Fire Prevention Standard 14.5.3 p. 4)
• Hydrant Type and Size.
o All new hydrants shall be 6 inch wet barrel.
o A wharf head hydrant with a 4 inch riser and one 2 ½ inch outlet will be
acceptable in the following instances:
ƒ For private on-site protection of one or two single-family homes when
only 500 gpm fire flow is required.
ƒ For remote residential projects with tanks, when approved.
• Minimum Flow per Hydrant.
o 1) Single Family Dwelling (SFD), 1000 gpm.
o 2) Multi family and Commercial, 1250 gpm.
o 3) Industrial, 1500 gpm.

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These standards can be seen as typical criteria to follow when designing fire hydrants for a
distribution system.

Maintenance Frequency
Maintenance of a distribution system is required to insure public safety, lower overall
costs, and maximize the lifetime of distribution system components. The three main
maintenance tasks are valve exercising, flushing pipelines, and storage tank inspections. Below
are benefits and suggested frequency of occurrence for each task:
Task Benefits Suggested Frequency
Valve exercising •Improves reliability Annually
•Familiarizes crews with valve location
•Identifies inoperable valves
•Locates obstructed valve boxes
•Ensures isolation of distribution system
sections when necessary
Flushing pipelines • Removes aged water from the pipeline Annually for all piping. More
• Reduces buildup of biofilms and often in areas with water
sediments quality issues (e.g. dead ends)
• Restores disinfectant residual
Storage tank inspections • Detects vandalism Daily or weekly for vandalism.
• Identifies defects Annually for other items.
• Ensures that access hatches are locked
• Ensures that vents, overflows, and drains
are screened
Table 2: Maintenance frequency and benefits for common distribution system tasks
Estimating Storage
The general rule when applying all storage calculations and estimates is to have at least
one maximum day of storage. For SWSs, storage volume is usually dictated by fire protection
requirements and not by community water use. The storage volume should never be smaller than
one maximum day of water use. One way to estimate storage is to use charts that relate water
needs to water system size (see Figure 14 and 15).
Alternatively, the following correlations can be used to calculate average day demand,
maximum day demand, and peak hourly demand from rainfall data:
8000
ADD = + 200
AAR
MDD = 2 × ADD

× (C × N + F ) + 18
MDD
PHD =
1440
ADD = Average day demand in gallons per day/ERU

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 AAR = Average annual rainfall in inches/year
MDD = Maximum daily demand in gpd/ERU
PHD = Peak hourly demand in gpm
C = Coefficient associated with range of N
N = Number of service connections or Equivalent residential units (ERUs)
F = Factor associated with range of N
The values for the coefficients C, N, and F are in table 3.

Range of N (ERUs) C F
15 - 50 3.0 0
51 - 100 2.5 25
101 - 250 2.0 75
251 - 500 1.8 125
> 500 1.6 225
Table 3: N, C, and F coefficient values for ADD, MDD and PHD calculations 44
(Water System Design Manual ch. 5 and 9)
Storage volume calculations can also be made from water use estimates for various
facilities that are served by the water system. The water use estimates are added together to
determine the maximum daily use. Water use estimates can be highly detailed and may include
specific facilities such as a livestock farm, country club, or laundry mat.

Figure 14: Maximum day demand vs. service connections

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 Figure 15: Needed storage vs. service connections
Example Calculation #2: Estimating and Designing Storage
A SWS has 38 service connections or ERUs, average annual rainfall of 25 inches, and a
maximum average monthly air temperature of 70oF. What should be the water storage
requirement for this SWS?
• Use the ADD and MDD equations to calculate water storage requirement and use the
graphs from Figure 15 to estimate water storage requirement
8000 8000
ADD = + 20 = + 20 = 340 gpd / ERU
AAR 25
MDD = 2 × ADD = 2 × 340 gpd / ERU = 680 gpd / ERU
One max day of storage = 680 gpd / ERU × 38 ERU = 25,840 gallons

Estimated storage from graph ≈ 35,000 gallons

• To be conservative, the higher estimate should be used and storage should be atleast
35,000 gallons. For a SWS, the fire flow should be considered and must be met. For
example, if the fire flow requirement is 1000 gpm for 1 hour the required storage would
be 60,000 gallons.

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 • Below are the calculations for PHD and maximum day demand, which may be used for
further design.
680
× (C × N + F ) + 18 = × (3.0 × 38 + 0) + 18 = 71.83 gpm
MDD
PHD =
1440 1440
Maximum day demand from graph ≈ 55 gpm

Pump Calculations 45
When operating a pump, the main cost is for the power to run the pump. To calculate the
power use and estimate the cost of operating a pump the following equations are used:
Q× H
WHp =
3960
Q× H
BHp = 100 ×
3960 × n
WHp = Work horsepower (in hp)
BHp = Brake horsepower (in hp)
Q = Flow rate (in gpm)
H = Elevation change (in feet)
n = efficiency (in %)
A pump’s power use is dependent on the flow rate that is pumped and the change in elevation the
pump must transport the water. A typical pump efficiency is about 65%, but the vertical turbine
can pump can have an efficiency of 80%. A pump efficiency curve or performance curve is
usually used to determine the pump efficiency in the power use calculation (see Figure 16).

Figure 16: A typical pump efficiency curve 46 (Chilled Water Tips: Pumps [webpage] figure 95)

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 Example Calculation #3: Pump Power and Efficiency
Water is to be pumped 85 gpm of flow for an elevation increase of 45 feet. For a pump with the
efficiency curve in Figure 16, what are the WHp and BHp requirements for pumping the water?
• Determine the pump efficiency or value for n from the efficiency curve in Figure 16 by
using 85 gpm for the x-axis and 45 feet for the y-axis
Pump Efficiency ≈ 67% or n ≈ 67
• Use the power use equations to determine the WHp and BHp requirements
Q × H 85 gpm × 45 feet
WHp = = = 0.966 hp
3960 3960
Q× H 85 gpm × 45 feet
BHp = 100 × = 100 × = 1.44 hp
3960 × n 3960 × 67

Blending and Treatment Calculations

In distribution system design, calculations are required to compare the various blending
and treatment options. When blending two water streams into one water stream, the basic
equation used to determine the contaminant concentration and flow rate of each stream is:
Q12 × C12 = Q1 × C1 + Q2 × C 2
Q1 = flow rate of stream 1
C1 = contaminant concentration of stream 1
Q2 = flow rate of stream 2
C2 = contaminant concentration of stream 2
Q12 = flow rate of combined stream
C12 = contaminant concentration of combined stream
The equation can be easily altered to accommodate for three or more streams. The
streams used in the equation can either be water sources or treated water to compare different
water system options. For multiple water sources, blending calculations can be performed and
for individual water sources sidestream treatment calculations can be performed. Even with two
unknown values in the equation, a calculation can be performed if the two variables can be
related like in the following example.
Example Calculation #4: Blending
The diagram below shows two flows from wells that are blended to go to treatment/storage.
From the information given determine the flow rate from well 2 and the flow rate of the
combined stream.

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 • Since there are two unknown variables in this problem, two equations are required to
solve. The blending equation and a simple addition of flows equation should be used.
Q12 × C12 = Q1 × C1 + Q2 × C 2 and Q12 = Q1 + Q2

• Manipulate the equations to solve for one of the unknown variables, Q12 or Q2
(Q1 + Q2 ) × C12 = Q1 × C1 + Q2 × C 2
Q1 × C12 + Q2 × C12 = Q1 × C1 + Q2 × C 2
Q2 × (C12 − C 2 ) = Q1 × C1 − Q1 × C12
Q1 × C1 − Q1 × C12
Q2 =
C12 − C 2
50 gpm × 0.015 mg / L − 50 gpm × 0.008 mg / L
Q2 = = 116.7 gpm
0.008 mg / L − 0.005 mg / L

• Determine Q12 using the addition of flows equation

Q12 = Q1 + Q2 = 50 gpm + 116.7 gpm = 166.7 gpm

Pipeline Hydraulics 45
To determine and design appropriate velocities, pressures, and flow rates in a distribution
system, understanding of pipeline hydraulics is required. Here are some typical values involved
with pipeline hydraulics:
Average pipe flow velocity = 5 fps
Maximum pipe flow velocity = 10 fps
Normal pressure = 40 to 80 psi
Preferred fire flow = 1500 gpm
Minimum main size = 4 inches

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 The flow equation is used to relate the flow rate and velocity in a pipe and is the most
basic pipeline hydraulic equation:
Flow Rate = Area × Velocity
Area = cross sectional area of pipe
Velocity = water velocity in pipe
The flow equation can be modified to calculate flow rate in and out of a storage tank:
(L1 − L2 ) × Area
Flow Rate =
Time
L1 = initial height of water in storage tank
L2 = final height of water in storage tank
Area = cross sectional area of storage tank
Time = period between initial and final water heights
The experimentally-based Hazen-Williams equations are used to calculate velocity and
flow in a pipe based on relative roughness of the pipe and slope of the energy line:
V = k × C × R 0.63 × S 0.54
Q = 0.432 × C × D 2.63 × S 0.54 [english units]

Q = 0.278 × C × D 2.63 × S 0.54 [metric units]

V = velocity
C = Hazen-Williams factor for relative roughness
R = hydraulic radius
S = slope of the energy line = hf/L
(hf = head loss and L=length of pipe)
D = diameter
k = “conversion” factor for unit system
(k = 0.849 for units of m/sec and k = 1.318 for units of ft/sec)
These equations are used to determine whether the velocity or head loss in a pipe are out of their
reasonable ranges.
Example Calculation #5: Pipeline Sizing
What is the velocity in a 6-inch pipeline at the inlet of a storage tank if:
¾ The water level in the tank rose 3 feet in 1,800 seconds (30 minutes)
¾ The storage tank is 20 feet diameter
• Determine the cross sectional area of the storage tank
2
⎛ 20 feet ⎞
Cross Sectional Area = π × r = π × ⎜
2
⎟ = 314.16 ft
2

⎝ 2 ⎠

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 • Determine the volume of water entering the tank in 1800 seconds
Volume = h × Area = 3 feet × 314.16 ft 2 = 942.5 ft 3
• Determine the flow rate
Volume 942.5 ft 3
Q= = = 0.5236 ft 3 / sec
time 1800 sec

• Determine the velocity in the 6-inch or 0.5-ft pipeline using the velocity equation
Flow Rate Q 0.5236 ft 3 / sec
Velocity = = = = 2.67 ft / sec
Area π ×r2 ⎛ 0.5 ft ⎞
2

π ×⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠
Example Calculation #6: Pipeline Hydraulics
Determine the head loss in a 1000-m pipeline with a diameter of 500 mm that is discharging 0.25
m3/sec. Assume that the Hazen-Williams coefficient for the pipe equals 130.
• Convert variables to appropriate units and pick appropriate pipeline hydraulics equation
1m
L = 1000 m D = 500 mm × = 0.5 m Q = 0.25 m 3 / sec C = 130
1000 mm
Q = 0.278 × C × D 2.63 × S 0.54 (in metric units )
• Pick the pipeline hydraulics equation in appropriate units and rearrange it to solve for S
1 1
⎛ Q ⎞ 0.54 ⎛ 0.25 m 3 / sec ⎞ 0.54
S =⎜ 2.63 ⎟
= ⎜⎜ ⎟
2.63 ⎟
= 0.00294
⎝ 0.278 × C × D ⎠ ⎝ 0.278 × 130 × (0.5 m ) ⎠
• Use the equation for S to solve for head loss
h f = S × L = 0.00294 × 1000 m = 2.94 m

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 References

40. Troubleshooting Guide: For Small Ground Water Systems with Hypochlorination. 1999.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 11 Aug. 2008 <http://www.epa.gov/
OGWDW/dwa/pdfs/gw-tsg.pdf>.

41. Maintaining Irrigation Pumps, Motors, and Engines. 2006. ATTRA – National
Sustainable Agriculture Information Service 2009. <http://attra.ncat.org/attra-
pub/PDF/maintaining_pumps.pdf>.

42. Irrigation Water Management: Training Manual No. 1 – Introduction to Irrigation. 1985.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. <http://www.fao.org/
docrep/R4082E/r4082e06.htm>.

43. Fire Prevention Standard 14.5.3. January 2008. Ventura County Fire Department. 11
Aug. 2008 <http://fire.countyofventura.org/departmentservices/fireprevention/
standards/standardsPDF's/14_5_3.pdf>.

44. Water System Design Manual. August 2001. Washington State Department of Health. 11
Aug. 2008 <http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/publications/design.htm>.

45. Hauser, Barbara A. Practical Hydraulics Handbook. 2nd edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC
Press, LLC. 1996.

46. Chilled Water Tips: Pumps. www.nanomagnetics.org. 2007.

<http://www.nanomagnetics.org/chilledwatertips/pumps.php>.

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