13-Jun-19
Water Distribution Systems & networks
Part A
Water Distribution Systems
Water Distribution Systems
Introduction
To deliver water to individual consumers with appropriate
quality, quantity, and pressure in a community setting
requires
an extensive system of:
Pipes.
Storage reservoirs.
Pumps.
Other related accessories.
Distribution system: is used to describe collectively the
facilities used to supply water from its source to the point of
usage .
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Water Distribution Systems
Methods of Supplying Water
• Depending on the topographical relationship
between the source of supply and the consumer,
water can be transported by:
• Canals.
• Tunnels.
• Pipelines.
• The most common methods are:
• Gravity supply
• Pumped supply
• Combined supply
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Water Distribution Systems
Gravity Supply
• The source of supply is at a sufficient elevation above
the distribution area (consumers).
so that the desired pressure can be achieved
HGL or EGL
Source
(Consumers)
(Reservoir)
Gravity-Supply System 4
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Water Distribution Systems
Advantages of Gravity supply
HGL or EGL
Source
• No energy costs.
• Simple operation (fewer mechanical parts,
independence of power supply, ….)
• Low maintenance costs.
• No sudden pressure changes
Water Distribution Systems
Pumped Supply
Used whenever:
• The source of water is lower than the area to which we need to
distribute water to (consumers)
• The source cannot maintain minimum pressure required.
pumps are used to develop the necessary head (pressure) to
distribute water to the consumer and storage reservoirs.
HGL or EGL
(Consumers)
Source
(River/Reservoir)
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Pumped-Supply System
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Water Distribution Systems
Disadvantages of pumped supply
Complicated operation and maintenance.
Dependent on reliable power supply.
Precautions have to be taken in order to enable permanent supply:
• Stock with spare parts
• Alternative source of power supply ….
HGL or EGL
(Consumers)
Source
(River/Reservoir)
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Water Distribution Systems
Combined Supply
(pumped-storage supply)
• Both pumps and storage reservoirs are used.
• This system is usually used in the following cases:
1) When two sources of water are used to supply water:
Pumping
Gravity Source (1)
HGL
HGL
Pumping station
City
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Source (2)
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Water Distribution Systems
Combined Supply (Continue)
2) In the pumped system sometimes a storage (elevated)
tank is connected to the system.
• When the water consumption is low, the residual water is
pumped to the tank.
• When the consumption is high the water flows back to the
consumer area by gravity.
Low consumption
High
Elevated
consumption
tank
Pumping station
Pipeline
City
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Source
Water Distribution Systems
Combined Supply (Continue)
3) When the source is lower than the consumer area
• A tank is constructed above the highest point in the area,
• Then the water is pumped from the source to the storage
tank (reservoir).
• And then, the water is distributed from the reservoir by
gravity.
Pumping
HGL
Gravity
HGL
Reservoir
Pumping Station
City 10
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Water Distribution Systems
Distribution Systems
(Network Configurations )
• In laying the pipes through the distribution
area, the following configuration can be
distinguished:
1. Dead end (Tree)
2. Grid system (Looped)
3. Radial system
4. Ring system 11
Water Distribution Systems
Dead End System (tree system)
It is usually used in old cities where there is inadequate provision
roads patterns.
Dead end System
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Water Distribution Systems
Dead End System (tree system)
Advantages:
•Simple to design and build.
•Less expensive than other systems.
Dead End
Disadvantages:
Source
• Stagnation of water due to dead ends which results in sedimentation
and bacterial growths.
• When repairs must be made to an individual line, service connections
beyond the point of repair will be without water until the repairs are
made.
• The pressure at the end of the line may become undesirably low as 13
additional extensions are made.
Water Distribution Systems
Radial System
Advantages
• It gives quick service.
• Calculation of pipe size is easy
Radial System
Features:
• The area is divided into different zones.
• The water is pumped into the distribution reservoir kept in the middle
of each zone.
• The supply pipes are laid radially ending towards the periphery. 14
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Water Distribution Systems
Grid System (Looped system)
Grid System
Features:
• It is suitable for cities with good structural layout, usually in
rectangular form. This means the water mains and branches are laid in
rectangles.
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Water Distribution Systems
Grid System
Advantages:
• The grid system overcomes all of the difficulties of the
dead end system discussed before.
• No dead ends. (All of the pipes are interconnected).
• In case of a breakdown in a particular loop (section),
water is available from some other directions.
Disadvantages:
• Hydraulically far more complicated than branching system
(Determination of the pipe sizes is somewhat more complicated).
• Expensive (consists of a large number of loops).
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But, it is the most reliable and used system.
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Water Distribution Systems
Ring System (Looped system)
Advantages:
•Water can be supplied
to any point from at
least two directions.
Ring System
Features:
• The supply main is laid all along the peripheral roads and sub mains
branch out from the mains.
• This system also follows the grid system with the flow pattern similar
in behavior to that of dead end system.
• Thus, calculation of pipe sizes is easy.
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Water Distribution Systems
Combined System
Combined System
• It is a combination of both Grid and Branching
systems
• This type is widely used all over the world. 18
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Water Distribution Systems & networks
Part B
Design of Water
Distribution Systems
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
A properly designed water distribution system should fulfill the following requirements:
Main requirements : Satisfy quality and quantity standards
• Water quality should not get deteriorated in the distribution pipes.
• It should be capable of delivering water at the intended places with
adequate pressure head.
• It should be capable of supplying the requisite amount of water
during fire-fighting.
• The layout should be such that no consumer would be without
water supply, during maintenance of any section of the system.
• It should be water-tight in order to minimize losses due to leakage.
• The distribution pipes should be laid one meter above or away
from sewer line
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
The design of water distribution systems must
undergo through different studies and steps:
Design Phases
Preliminary Studies
Network Layout
Hydraulic Analysis
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Preliminary Studies:
Must be performed before starting the actual design:
Topographical Studies:
1. Contour lines (or controlling elevations).
2. Digital maps showing present (and future) houses, streets,
lots, and so on..
3. Location of water sources so to help in locating distribution
reservoirs.
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Water Demand Studies:
Water consumption is ordinarily divided into the
following categories:
Domestic demand.
Industrial and Commercial demand.
Agricultural demand.
Fire demand.
Leakage and Losses (UFW).
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Domestic demand
• It is the amount of water used for Drinking, Cooking,
Gardening, Car Washing, Bathing, Laundry, Dish Washing,
and Toilet Flushing.
• The average water consumption is different from one
population to another. It is expressed as average amount of
water used per person per day, also called per-capita demand.
• Eg. 120 L/c/d in Nigeria, it is 250 L/c/day in United States,
and it is 180 L/c/day for population live in Cairo (Egypt).
• The average consumption may increase with increase in
standard of living.
• The water consumption varies during the course of the day
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
The total amount of water for domestic use in any city is a function of:
Population increase
How to predict the increase of population?
Use Geometric-increase model
P0 = recent population
P P0 (1 r ) n
r = rate of population growth
n = design period in years
P = population at the end of the design
period.
There are other methods, such as the arithmetic growth, declining growth and graphical
methods.
The total domestic demand can be estimated using:
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Qdomestic = Qavg x P
Design of Water Distribution Systems
Industrial and Commercial demand
• It is the amount of water needed for factories, offices,
and stores….
• Varies from one city to another and from one country
to another
• Hence should be studied for each case separately.
• However, it is sometimes taken as a percentage of the
domestic demand.
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Agricultural demand
• It depends on the type of crops, soil, climate…
Fire demand
• To resist fire, the network should save a certain amount of water.
• Many formulas can be used to estimate the amount of water needed for fire.
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Fire demand Formulas
QF = fire demand l/s
QF 65 P (10.01 P ) P = population in thousands
QF = fire demand l/s
Q F 53 P P = population in thousands
QF = fire demand flow m3/d
Q F 320 * C A A = areas of all stories of the building
under consideration (m2 )
C = constant depending on the type of
construction;
The above formulas can be replaced with local ones
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(Amounts of water needed for fire in these formulas are high).
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Leakage and Losses
• This is “ unaccounted for water ”(UFW)
• It is attributable to:
Errors in meter readings
Unauthorized connections
Leaks in the distribution system
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Network Layout
Network layout requirements
• Pipes
• Controls
– Check valve (CV)
– Pressure relief valve
– Pressure reducing valve (PRV)
– Pressure sustaining valve (PSV)
– Flow control valve (FCV)
• Pumps: need a relationship between flow and head
• Reservoirs: infinite source, elevation is not affected by
demand
• Tanks: specific geometry, mass conservation applies 30
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Pipe
• A pipe is a hollow cylinder used to covey fluid.
• Pipes used in water supply are made of various materials
and, depending on their resistance to the backfill and
shock loads, they can be categorized in three large
groups:
– Rigid: cast iron (CI), asbestos cement (AC), concrete,
– Semi-rigid: ductile iron (DI), steel and
– Flexible: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), glass
reinforced plastic (GRP).
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Pipe
• Furthermore the pipe materials can be classified as metallic and non-
metallic. Each of the pipe materials has a specific composition that
determines its properties. An ideal material that can be applied in all
conditions does not exist. The main properties of the most commonly
used materials according to the US experience (Smith et al., 2000) are
compared in Tables 1 and 2 respectively.
• A proper choice of pipe type helps to avoid the following problems in
the operational management of transport and distribution systems:
• – frequent interruptions of supply,
• – increased water and energy losses,
• – deterioration of water quality,
• – shorter pipe lifetime,
• – expensive maintenance of the system.
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
PIPE MATERIALS
Table 1. Properties of metallic materials in use in US (Smith
et al., 2000).
Key:
1 T-transport,
D-distribution,
S-service connections.
Open
Design of Water Distribution Systems
PIPE MATERIALS
Table 1. Properties of non-metallic materials in use in US
(Smith et al., 2000).
Key:
1 T-transport,
D-distribution,
S-service connections.
Open
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Valves
• Valves in water distribution systems are distinguished by their
principle of operation, the role in the system and the manner of
control. Generally, the valves fulfil three main tasks:
– flow and/or pressure regulation, e.g, flow control valves,
pressure reducing- or pressure sustaining valves, etc.
– exclusion of parts of the network due to emergency or
maintenance reasons, e.g, section valves.
– protection of the reservoirs and pumps, e.g. float valves, non-
return valves, etc
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VALVES
Pressure reducing valve.
Large gate- and butterfly valves.
Blocks of gate valves.
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Check Valve
• This Valve only allows flow in one open closed
direction
• The valve automatically closes when
flow begins to reverse
Pressure Relief Valve
pipeline closed open
Low pipeline pressure High pipeline pressure
• Valve will begin to open when pressure in the pipeline exceeds a set pressure
(determined by force on the spring)
• Where high pressure could cause an explosion (boilers, water heaters, …)
Design of Water Distribution Systems
Pressure Regulating Valve
sets maximum pressure downstream
closed open
High downstream pressure Low downstream pressure
Valve will begin to open when the pressure
___________
downstream less is _________ than the setpoint
pressure (determined by the force of the spring).
Similar function to pressure break tank
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Pressure Sustaining Valve
sets minimum pressure upstream
closed open
Low upstream pressure High upstream pressure
Valve will begin to open when the pressure
________ isgreater
upstream _________ than the setpoint pressure
(determined by the force of the spring).
Similar to pressure relief valve
Design of Water Distribution Systems
Flow control valve (FCV)
• Limits the ____
flow ___
rate
through the valve to a
specified value, in a
specified direction
• Commonly used to limit the
maximum flow to a value
that will not adversely affect
the provider’s system
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Pressure Break Tanks
• In the developing world small water supplies in
mountainous regions can develop too much pressure
for the PVC pipe.
• They don’t want to use PRVs because they are too
expensive and are prone to failure.
• Pressure break tanks have an inlet, an outlet, and an
overflow.
• Is there a better solution?
Design of Water Distribution Systems
Design Criteria
Are the design limitations required to get the most
efficient and economical water-distribution network
Pressure
Velocity
Average Water Consumption 42
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Velocity
• Not be lower than 0.6 m/s to prevent sedimentation
• Not be more than 3 m/s to prevent erosion and high
head losses.
• Commonly used values are 1 - 1.5 m/sec.
Head Losses
• Optimum range is 1-4 m/km.
• Maximum head loss should not exceed
10 m/km.
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Pressure
• Pressure in municipal distribution systems ranges from 150-
300 kPa in residential districts with structures of four stories
or less and 400-500 kPa in commercial districts.
• Also, for fire hydrants the pressure should not be less than
150 kPa (15 m of water).
• In general for any node in the network the pressure should
not be less than 25 m of water.
• Moreover, the maximum pressure should be limited to 70 m
of water 44
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Pipe sizes
• Lines which provide only domestic flow may be as small as 100 mm (4
in) but should not exceed 400 m in length (if dead-ended) or 600 m if
connected to the system at both ends.
• Lines as small as 50-75 mm (2-3 in) are sometimes used in small
communities with length not to exceed 100 m (if dead-ended) or 200 m
if connected at both ends.
• The size of the small distribution mains is seldom less than 150 mm (6
in) with cross mains located at intervals not more than 180 m.
• In high-value districts the minimum size is 200 mm (8 in) with cross-
mains at the same maximum spacing. Major streets are provided with
lines not less than 305 mm (12 in) in diameter. 45
Design of Water Distribution Systems
Design Period for Water supply Components
• The economic design period of the components of a distribution
system depends on
• Their life.
• First cost.
• And the ease of expandability.
Average Water Consumption
• From the water demand (preliminary) studies,
estimate the average and peak water
consumption for the area. 46
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Design of Water Distribution Systems
Network Layout
• Next step is to estimate pipe sizes on the basis
of water demand and local code requirements.
• The pipes are then drawn on a digital map (using
AutoCAD, for example) starting from the water
source.
• All the components (pipes, valves, fire hydrants)
of the water network should be shown on the
lines.
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