WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

A. OBERLIN
 WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
• Distribution system is a network of pipelines that distribute water
to the consumers.
They are designed to adequately satisfy the water requirement for a
combination of
• Domestic
• Commercial
• Industrial
• Fire fighting purposes.
 CONT….
A good distribution system should satisfy the followings:
•Adequate water pressure at the consumer's taps for a specific rate of
flow ‘
• Pressures should be enough to adequately meet fire fighting needs.
•At the same time, pressures should not be excessive
Note: In tower buildings, it is often necessary to provide booster.
• Purity of distributed water should be maintained.
• Maintenance of the DS should be easy and economical.
• Water should remain available during breakdown periods of pipeline.
• During repairs, it should not cause any obstruction to traffic.
 DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
•A. Branching pattern with dead end.
•B. Grid pattern
•C. Grid pattern with loop.
 Branching Pattern with Dead End
• Similar to the branching of a tree.
It consists of
 Main (trunk) line
 Sub-mains
 Branches
• Main line is the main source of water supply. There is no water
distribution to consumers from trunk line.
• Sub-mains are connected to the main line and they are along the
main roads.
• Branches are connected to the sub-mains and they are along the
streets.
• Service connections are given to the consumers from branches.
 Branching Pattern with Dead End
Advantages: Disadvantages:
•It is a very simple method of •The area receiving water from a
water distribution. pipe under repair is without water
• The required dimensions of until the work is completed.
the pipes are economical. •Large number of dead ends where
•This method requires less water does not circulate but remains
number of cut-off valves. static.
Note:, It is not usually favored •It is difficult to maintain chlorine
in modern water works practice residual at the dead ends of pipe.
for the following disadvantages. • Water available for fire-fighting will
be limited .
•The pressure at the end of the line
may become low
In grid pattern, all the pipes are interconnected with no dead-ends.
In such a system, water can reach any point from more than one
direction.
 Grid Pattern
Advantages: Disadvantages:
•Stagnation does not occur as readily • Cost of pipe laying is more
as in the branching pattern.
because relatively more length
• In case of repair or break down in a of pipes is required.
pipe, the area connected to that
• More number of valves are
pipe will continue to receive water
required.
•Water reaches all points with
minimum head loss. •The calculation of pipe sizes
•At the time of fires, by manipulating are more complicated.
the cut-off valves, plenty of water
supply may be diverted and
concentrated for fire-fighting.
 Grid Pattern with Loops
• Loops are provided in a grid pattern to improve water pressure
in portions of a city (industrial, business and commercial areas).

• Loops should be strategically located so that as the city develops

the water pressure should be sustained.

• The advantages and disadvantages of this pattern are the same

as those of the grid pattern.
 Design of DS: Preliminary Studies
The various steps involved in the design of a distribution system are :
1. Survey and Preparation of Contoured Plans and Maps:
•The strip of land lying between the treatment plant (water works) and the
distribution area is surveyed to obtain levels for fixing the alignment of the
main pipe line which will bring treated water to the distribution area.
•The distribution area (city or town) is also completely surveyed and
contoured plan of the area is prepared to locate the positions of the
distribution zones, distribution or service reservoirs, pumping stations, etc.
• Detailed maps of the distribution area are prepared to show the positions
of roads, streets, lanes, commercial locality, industrial area, parks and
gardens, etc.
•The cross- sections of the roads, streets, lanes, etc., are prepared showing
the positions of the existing underground service lines as electric,
telephone, gas, sewer, existing water supply lines, if any, etc.
 Design of a Distribution System
2. Tentative Layout:
•The entire distribution area (city or town) is divided into various
distribution zones and the same are marked on the detailed map of the
distribution area.

•The density of population (i.e., average number of persons per hectare

area) for each zone is also marked.

•The system of layout to be adopted is decided and tentative alignment

of all mains, sub-mains and branches as well as positions of distribution
or service reservoirs, valves, hydrants and other appurtenances are
marked.
 Design of a Distribution System
3. Discharge in Pipe Lines:
•The discharge desired to be carried by each pipe line is computed on
the basis of density of population, type of distribution zone (i.e.,
residential, commercial, etc.) and fire demand. The size of the
distribution pipes are so fixed that the minimum residual pressure is
maintained at all points.

•The pipes are designed for a discharge ranging from 2.25 to 3 times
the average rate of supply. For population over 50,000 the distribution
mains are designed for a discharge of 2.25 times the average rate of
supply, while for population below 50,000 the distribution mains are
designed for a discharge of 3 times the average rate of supply.
 Design of a Distribution System
4. Calculation of Pipe Diameters:
•For the known design discharge the pipe diameters are assumed in
such a way that the velocity of flow varies from 0.6 to 3 m/s. Smaller
velocity is assumed for pipes of smaller diameter and larger velocity for
pipes of larger diameter.

•The loss of head in the pipes calculated using:

– Hazen-Williams formula or
– Darcy-Weisbach formula or
– Manning’s formula.

Note: Out of these formulae Hazen-Williams formula is more

commonly used, however, involves trial error solution, and in
order to avoid this a nomogram of Hazen-Williams formula has
been developed.
 Design of a Distribution System
There are in all four variables:
(i) Discharge Q in m3/s or litres/s second;
(ii) Diameter of pipe in mm,
(iii) Loss of head in metres per 1000 m length of pipe, and
(iv) Velocity of flow in m/s.
•If out of the four quantities, any two are known, the other two can be
found from the nomogram. For this a straight edge is placed on the
values of the two known quantities, and the values of the two unknown
quantities are then directly read out.

•The nomogram is valid for a value of roughness coefficient CH equal to

100. For any other value of CH the head loss obtained from the
nomogram is multiplied by the factor CH /100.

5. Computation of Available Residual Pressure Heads:

Note: Head Loss in pipes was calculated using Hazen William’s Nomograph, shown on next
page
 DESIGN CONSIDERATION
• Fire hydrants are used on sub-mains
• Fire hydrants should be located at easily accessible locations.
• Length of fire hosed is about 50-75m.
• Sub-mains should be divided into sections and valves should be
provided in each.
• 3 gate valves are used at all crosses.
• 2 gate valves are used at al tees.
• To remove air from pipelines or to allow automatic air entrance
when the pipeline is emptied (in order to prevent vacuum), air
release and relief valves are placed at high points.
HYDRAULIC ANALYSIS OF DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
Most commonly methods used are:
• Dead-end method
• Hardy-Cross method
• Equivalent pipe method
 DEAD-END METHOD

• To apply dead-end method for loop systems, convert it to branch

system.
• A dead-end point is identified for each loop.
• The location of dead end point is chosen such that distance
travelled to reach dead-end point from 2 different directions will
almost equal to each other. Because; in a closed loop
 DEAD-END METHOD

• Start calculations from dead-ends to service reservoir.

• Calculate the total flow rate to be distributed (Qmax_h + Qfire)
To calculate design flow rate of each pipe;
- Q distributed
- Q begin
- Q end should be calculated.
 PROCEDURE
• Outflows from each node are decided.
• Flows and direction of flows in pipes are estimated by
considering the flow continuity condition.

• At each node;

• Decide the sign of flow direction. Usually clockwise direction (+)

and counter clockwise direction (-). Use the same sign for all
loops.
• Diameters are estimated for the initially assumed flow rates
knowing the diameter, length and roughness of a pipe, headloss
in the pipe is a function of the flow rate Q.
6. Computational procedure is repeated until each loop in the
entire network has negligibly small corrections (ΔQ).
 C) Equivalent Pipe Method
C) Equivalent Pipe Method
•This method reduce a combination of pipes into a simple pipe system
for easier analysis of a pipe network, such as a water DS.
•Equivalent pipe is an imaginary pipe which the head loss & discharge
are equivalent to the HL and discharge for the real pipe system.
•There are three main properties of a pipe: diameter, length, and
roughness. As the coefficient of roughness, C, decreases the roughness
of the pipe decreases.
•For example, a new smooth pipe has a roughness factor of C = 140,
while a rough pipe is usually at C = 100. To determine an equivalent
pipe, you must assume any of the above two properties.
•For a system of pipes with different diameters, lengths, and roughness
factors, you could assume a specific roughness factor (most commonly C
= 100) and diameter (most commonly D = 8").
•The most common formula for computing equivalent pipe is the Hazen-
Williams formula [1].
Example: Determine the sizes of pipes in the network given in figure
below. The average water is supplied at 200litres/day /capita. The
maximum rate supply is 2.7 times the average demand
The flow discharge with their direction and magnitude are now to
be assumed in all the pipes, keeping in consideration the law of
continuity (i.e the input must be equal to the off take at each
junction). The assumed flows have been shown in Figure below .
Water demand at point D is satisfied by flowing water along line
ABD and ACD
The sizes of the pipes are now to be chosen such that the velocity in
each pipe remains between 0.9 to 1.15 m/sec. The total head loss in line
ABD and ACD should remain approximately equal and less than the
available head approx. 15 m.
The pipe diameters are now chosen by common sense as shown in Fig.
above and table 1 (First Trial), Using Hardy Cross equation, and table 1,
Table 1,
For all the pipes of both the loops, we first compute values of k, as given in Table 2 below:
Table 2: Computation of “K” values for pipes of network of figure 20.7
Now, both the loops are analysed for Hardy Cross method procedure in Table 3

Table 3: Hardy cross procedure for first correction

These discharges are now again used to re-analyze both the loops for the second
correction in Table 4.
Table 4: Hardy cross procedure for second correction
Solve the following pipe network using Hazen William’s Equation
 Solution
As loop ABCD represents a pipe circuit with the pipe sizes and lengths as indicated in fig
above