WATER TRANSPORT AND

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Chapter 1, Introduction to Urban

Water Distribution, Trifunovi, N. ,
2006.

INTRODUCTION
Everybody understands the importance
of water in our lives.
Clean water has already been a matter
of human concern for thousands of
years.
It is a known fact that all major early
civilisations regarded an organised
water supply as an essential requisite of
any sizeable urban settlement.

Improvement of Water
Supply today
Nearly

2000 years later, one would

expect that the situation would have
improved, bearing in mind the
developments of science and technology
since the collapse of the Roman Empire.
Yet, there are still many regions in the
world living under water supply
conditions that the ancient Romans
would have considered as extremely
primitive.

Water supply coverage in the

world

Water supply growth, Asia &

Africa

Three different realities,

based on some studies
Urban, Europe: direct supply
Urban in arid area, Middle East:
intermittent supply but more or less
continuous water use
Rural, Asia: water often has to be
collected from a distance.

In Africa

In

Africa, there is little concern about

the frequency of water supply
interruptions; the water is fetched in
buckets and average quantities are a
few litres per head per day, which
can be better described as a few
litres on head per day.

How water is fetched (in

some parts of Africa)

How the Dutch gives

importance to water supply

Status Quo and the challenge

today
Transport

and distribution systems are very

expensive even when perfectly designed and
managed.
Optimisation of design, operation and
maintenance has always been, and will remain,
the key challenge of any water supply company.
Nowadays, this fact is underlined by the
population explosion that is expected to
continue in urban areas, particularly of the
developing and newly industrialised countries in
the coming years.

Population Growth

INTRODUCTION TO WATER
TRANSPORT & DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS

Transport and distribution

In general, a water supply system
comprises the following processes:
raw water extraction and transport,
water treatment and storage,
clear water transport and distribution.

Water transport systems

Comprise

main transmission lines of high

and fairly constant capacities.
Except for drinking water, these systems
may be constructed for the conveyance of
raw or partly treated water.
As a part of the drinking water system, the
transport lines do not directly serve
consumers. They usually connect the clear
water reservoir of a treatment plant with
some central storage in the distribution
area.

Water supply system

process

Water distribution systems

Consist

of a network of smaller pipes

with numerous connections that
supply water directly to the users.
The flow variations in such systems
are much wider than in cases of
water transport systems.

In order to achieve optimal operation,

different types of reservoirs,
pumping stations, water towers, as
well as various appurtenances
(valves, hydrants, measuring
equipment, etc.) can be installed in
the system.

Main objectives of water transport

and distribution systems

supply of adequate water quantities

maintaining the water quality

achieved by the water treatment

process

Design considerations in water

transport and distribution systems

Speaking

in
hydraulic
terms,
sufficient quantity and quality of
water
can
be
maintained
by
adequate pressure and velocity.
Keeping pipes always under pressure
drastically reduces the risks of
external contamination.

Design considerations in water

transport and distribution systems

Considering

the engineering aspects,

the quantity and quality
requirements are met by making
proper choices in the selection of
components and materials.

Design considerations in water

transport and distribution systems

In

satisfying the quantity and quality

objectives special attention should
be paid to the level of workmanship
during the construction phase as
well as later on, when carrying out
the
system
operation
and
maintenance.

PIPING
Piping

is a part of transport and

distribution systems that demands
major investments.

The

main components comprise

pipes, joints, fittings, valves and
service connections.

Classification of pipes according

to function : (1) Trunk main

- a pipe for the transport of potable

water from treatment plant to the
distribution area.
-diameters of between a few 100
millimetres and a few meters, in
extreme cases.

Classification of pipes according

to function : (2) Secondary mains
- pipes that form the basic skeleton of
the distribution system; links the
main components, sources, reservoirs
and pumping stations, and enable
the smooth distribution of bulk flows
towards the areas of higher demand.
- supports the system operation
under irregular conditions (fire, major
pipe burst, maintenance, etc.).
-Typical diameters: 150400 mm.

Classification of pipes according to

function : (3) Distribution mains

- convey water from the secondary

mains towards various consumers.
- laid alongside roads and streets
with numerous service connections
and valves connected to guarantee
the required level of supply.
-common diameters between 80200
mm.

(4) Service pipes

-From the distribution mains, numerous
service pipes bring the water directly to
the consumers. In the case of domestic
supplies, the service pipes are generally
around 25 mm (1 inch) but other
consumers may require a larger size.
The

end of the service pipe is the end

point of the distribution system. From
that point on, two options are possible:

 A)Public

connection
-the service pipe terminates in one or
more outlets and the water is
consumed directly. This can be any
type of public tap, fountain, etc.

 B)Private

connection
-the service pipe terminates at a
stopcock of a private installation
within a dwelling. This is the point
where the responsibility of the water
supply company usually stops. These
can be different types of house or
garden connections, as well as
connections for non-domestic use.

Schematic lay-out of a
service connection

Thank you!