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A water tap
A water tap

Tap water (running water) is part of indoor plumbing, which became available in the late 19th century and common in the mid-20th century. Plumbing, from the Latin plumbum for Lead, is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and Plumbing fixtures for The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The twentieth century of the Common Era began on

The provision of tap water requires a massive infrastructure of piping, pumps, and water purification works. For other uses see Pipe. Within Industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey Fluids ( Liquids and For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump. Water purification is the process of removing contaminants and other harmful microorganisms from a raw water source The direct cost of the tap water alone, however, is a small fraction of that of bottled water, which can cost from 240 to 10,000 times as much per gallon. Bottled water is Drinking water packaged in Bottles for individual consumption and retail sale [1]

Experimental attempts have been made to introduce non-potable greywater or rainwater for these secondary uses in order to reduce enormous environmental and energy costs. Greywater, also known as sullage, is non-industrial wastewater generated from domestic processes such as dish washing Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to In urban China, drinking water can be optionally delivered by a separate tap. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

The availability of clean tap water brings major public health benefits. Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society organisations Usually, the same administration that provides tap water is also responsible for the removal and treatment before discharge or reclamation of wastewater. Distinguish from Wastwater (a lake in the Lake District in northwest England

In many areas, chemicals containing fluoride are added to the tap water in an effort to improve public dental health. Water fluoridation is the addition of a chemical to increase the concentration of Fluoride Ions in Drinking water with the purpose of reducing the This remains a controversial issue in the health, freedoms and rights of the individual. See water fluoridation controversy.

Tap water may contain various types of natural but relatively harmless contaminants such as scaling agents like calcium carbonate in hard water and metal ions such as magnesium and iron, and odoriferous gases such as hydrogen sulfide. Calcium carbonate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula Ca[[Carbon C]] O 3 Hard water is the type of Water that has high Mineral content (in contrast with Soft water) The M acro E xpansion T emplate A ttribute L anguage complements TAL, providing macros which allow the reuse of code across An ion is an Atom or Molecule which has lost or gained one or more Valence electrons giving it a positive or negative electrical charge Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Hydrogen sulfide (or hydrogen sulphide) is the Chemical compound with the formula H 2 S. Local geological conditions affecting groundwater are determining factors of the presence of these substances in water. Groundwater is Water located beneath the Ground surface in Soil pore spaces and in the Fractures of lithologic formations

Occasionally, there are health scares concerning the leakage of dangerous biological or chemical contaminating agents into local water supplies when people are advised by public health officials not to drink the water, and stick to bottled water instead. A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. An example is the recent discovery of potentially hazardous nitrates in the public water supply in Phoenix, Arizona. A hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to Life, Health, Property or environment. In Inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of Nitric acid with an Ion composed of one Nitrogen and three Oxygen atoms Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. [2]

Contents

Tap water uses

According to a 1999 American Water Works Association study on residential end uses of water in the United States, Americans drink more than 1 glass of tap water per day (the daily human drinking water requirement being 2-3 quarts). American Water Works Association (AWWA is an International nonprofit Professional organization dedicated to the improvement of Drinking water quality and Within a urban area there is a tendency for land uses to Aggregate. Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not The quart is an imperial and US customary unit of Volume equal to a quarter of a Gallon. Daily indoor per capita water use in a typical single family home is 69. 3 gallons (260 litres), falling into the following categories:

Of all water supplied to studied homes annually, for perspective, 42 percent was for indoor purposes and 58 percent for outdoor purposes.

Potable water supply

This supply may come from several possible sources.

Domestic water systems have been evolving since the first thinking man located his home near a running water supply, e. g. a stream or river. The water flow also allowed sending waste water away from his domicile.

Modern indoor plumbing delivers clean, safe, potable water to each service point in the distribution system. It is imperative that the clean water not be contaminated by the waste water (disposal) side of the process system. Historically, this contamination of drinking water has been the largest killer of humans. [3]

Hot water supply

Domestic hot water is provided by means of water heater appliances, or through district heating. Water heating is a thermodynamic process using an energy source to heat Water above its initial Temperature. District heating (less commonly called teleheating) is a system for distributing heat generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial heating requirements The hot water from these units is then piped to the various fixtures and appliances that require hot water, such as lavatories, sinks, bathtubs, showers, washing machines, and dishwashers.

Fixtures and appliances

Everything in a building that uses water falls under one of two categories; Fixture or Appliance. As the consumption points above perform their function, most produce waste/sewage components that will require removal by the waste/sewage side of the system.

Fixtures are devices that use water without an additional source of power.

Appliances are devices that use water coupled with an additional source of power. connection to these appliances incorporates a backflow prevention principle of some form -- the minimum is an air gap. See cross connection control & backflow prevention for an overview of backflow prevention methods and devices currently in use, both through the use of mechanical and physical principles.

Pipe materials

In old construction, lead plumbing was common. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Plumbing, from the Latin plumbum for Lead, is the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and Plumbing fixtures for It was generally eclipsed toward the end of the 1800s by galvanized iron water pipes which were attached with threaded pipe fittings. For the various smoking devices see Hookah or Bong. For other uses see Pipe. A threaded pipe is a pipe with screw-threaded ends for assembly Higher durability, and cost, systems were made with brass pipe and fittings. Brass is any Alloy of Copper and Zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties Copper with soldered fittings became popular around 1950, though it had been used as early as 1900. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Soldering is a process in which two or more Metal items are joined together by melting and flowing a filler metal into the joint the filler metal having a relatively low Plastic supply pipes have become increasingly common since about 1970, with a variety of materials and fittings employed. Plumbing codes define which materials may be used, and all materials must be proven by ASTM, UL, and/or NFPA testing. A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as Buildings and Nonbuilding

Steel

Galvanized steel supply pipes are commonly found with interior diameters from 1/2" to 2", though most single family homes' systems won't require any supply pipes larger than 3/4". Hot-dip galvanizing is a form of Galvanization. It is the process of coating Iron or Steel with a thin Zinc layer by passing the steel A pipe is a tube or hollow cylinder used to convey materials or as a structural component Pipes have National Pipe Thread (NPT) standard male threads, which connect with female threads on elbows, tees, couplers, valves, and other fittings. National Pipe Thread Tapered ( NPT) is a US standard for tapered threads used to join pipes and fittings For other uses see Valve (disambiguation. For the electronic component see Thermionic valve. Galvanized steel (often known simply as "galv" or "iron" in the plumbing trade) is relatively expensive, difficult to work with due to weight and requirement of a pipe threader, and suffers from a tendency to obstruction due to mineral deposits forming on the inside of the pipe. It remains common for repair of existing "galv" systems and to satisfy building code non-combustibility requirements typically found in hotels, apartment buildings and other commercial applications. A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as Buildings and Nonbuilding It is also extremely durable. Black lacquered steel pipe is the most widely used pipe material for fire sprinklers. A fire sprinkler is the part of a Fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected such as when a predetermined temperature has

Copper

Copper Tubing Sizes (CTS) for Plumbing
Nominal
size		 Outside diameter (OD)
(inches)		 Inside diameter (ID)
(inches)
Type K Type L Type M
3/8 1/2 0. 402 0. 430 0. 450
1/2 5/8 0. 528 0. 545 0. 569
5/8 3/4 0. 652 0. 668 0. 690
3/4 7/8 0. 745 0. 785 0. 811
1 1-1/8 0. 995 1. 025 1. 055
1-¼ 1-3/8 1. 245 1. 265 1. 291
1-½ 1-5/8 1. 481 1. 505 1. 527
2 2-1/8 1. 959 1. 985 2. 009
2-½ 2-5/8 2. 435 2. 465 2. 495
3 3-1/8 2. 907 2. 945 2. 981

Tubing made of copper was introduced in about 1900, but didn't become popular until approximately 1950, depending on local building code adoption. Tubing is a Pipe or hollow cylinder for the conveyance of fluids (liquids or gases Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Common wall-thicknesses of copper tubing are "Type K", "Type L" and "Type M";[4] Type "M" are relatively thin-walled and generally suitable for condensate and other drains, but sometimes illegal for pressure applications, depending on local codes. Type "L" has a thicker pipe wall section, and is used in residential and commercial water supply and pressure applications, Type "K" has the thickest wall section of the three types of pressure rated tubing and is commonly used for deep underground burial such as under sidewalks and streets, with a suitable corrosion protection coating or continuous polyethylene sleeve as required by code. Types "K" and "L" are generally available in both hard drawn "sticks" and in rolls of soft annealed tubing, Type "M" is usually only available in hard drawn "sticks". Thin-walled types used to be relatively inexpensive, but since 2002 copper prices have risen considerably due to rising global demand and a stagnant supply.

In the plumbing trade the size of copper tubing is measured by its nominal diameter (average inside diameter). Some trades, heating and cooling technicians for instance, use the outside diameter (OD) to designate copper tube sizes. The OD of copper tube is always 1/8th inch larger than its nominal size. Therefore, 1" nominal copper tube and 1-1/8th" inch ACR tube are exactly the same tube with different size designations. The wall thickness of the tube, as mentioned above, never affects the sizing of the tube. Type K 1/2" nominal tube, is the same size as Type L 1/2" nominal tube (5/8" ACR).

Generally, copper tubes are soldered directly into copper or brass fittings, although compression, crimp, or flare fittings are also used. A solder is a fusible metal Alloy with a melting point or melting range of 90 to 450 ° C (200 to 840 ° F) used in a process called Formerly, concerns with copper supply tubes included the lead used in the solder at joints (50% tin and 50% lead). A solder is a fusible metal Alloy with a melting point or melting range of 90 to 450 ° C (200 to 840 ° F) used in a process called Some studies have shown significant "leaching" of the lead into the potable water stream, particularly after long periods of low usage, followed by peak demand periods. In hard water applications, shortly after installation, the interior of the pipes will be coated with the deposited minerals that had been dissolved in the water, and therefore the vast majority of exposed lead is prevented from entering the potable water. Hard water is the type of Water that has high Mineral content (in contrast with Soft water) Building codes now require lead-free solder. A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as Buildings and Nonbuilding Building Codes throughout the U. S. require the use of virtually "lead-free" (<. 2% lead) solder or filler metals in plumbing fittings and appliances as well. A filler metal is a metal added in the making of a joint through Welding, Brazing, or Soldering.

Plastics

Plastic pipe is in wide use for domestic water supply and drainage, waste, and vent (DWV) pipe. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), polypropylene (PP), polybutlyene (PB), and polyethylene (PE) may be allowed by code for certain uses. Polypropylene or polypropene ( PP) is a Thermoplastic Polymer, made by the Chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications Polyethylene or polythene ( IUPAC name poly(ethene) is a Thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products (notably the Some examples of plastics in water supply systems are:

Fittings and valves

Potable water supply systems require not only pipe, but also many fittings and valves which add considerably to their functionality as well as cost. For other uses see Pipe. Within Industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey Fluids ( Liquids and The Piping and plumbing fittings and Valves articles discuss them further. Fittings are used in pipe and plumbing systems to connect straight pipe or tubing sections to adapt to different sizes or shapes and to regulate Fluid For other uses see Valve (disambiguation. For the electronic component see Thermionic valve.

Regulation and compliance

Before a water supply system is constructed or modified, the designer and contractor need to consult the local plumbing code and obtain a building permits prior to construction. [5][6] Even replacing an existing water heater may require a permit and inspection of the work. National and local fire codes should be integrated in the design phase of the water system too to prevent "failure comply with regulations" notices. Some areas of the United States require on-site water reserves of potable and fire water by law.

Waste water

The waste water from the various appliances, fixtures, and taps is transferred to the waste and sewage removal system via the sewage drain system. This system consists of larger diameter piping, water traps, and is well vented to prevent toxic gases from entering the living space. The plumbing drains and vents article discusses the topic further, and introduces sewage treatment. A building's waste-disposal system has two parts the drainage system and the venting system Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing Contaminants from Wastewater, both Runoff ( Effluents

Tap water vs bottled water

Tap water is an alternative to bottled water, and is preferred by many Americans because their water wholesalers and water companies claim to provide relatively clean and healthy water to consumers.

In 2007, it was found that some bottled water companies were selling water that was contaminated and less healthy for consumers than tap water. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) conducted a four year study on bottled water. The Natural Resource Defense Council ( NRDC) is a New York City -based Non-profit, Non-partisan international environmental Advocacy The results of this study show that one-third of the bottled water tested contained levels of contamination which exceeds allowable limits under either state or bottled water industry standards or guidelines. [7]

Many large corporations and some water companies and wholesalers, especially in the California Bay Area are now making a large effort to promote tap water over bottled water. Some of the Bay Area cities that promote tap over bottled water include San Francisco, Emeryville, Santa Clara, and Oakland. The Santa Clara Valley Water District in Santa Clara County launched its tap v bottled water campaign, with the slogan, “Tap Water, the Clear Choice”, in 2007. [8]

During the 2007 U. S Conference of Mayors, the mayors of San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis signed a pledge to promote tap water over bottled water as part of the “Think Outside the Bottle” campaign. [9]

See also

References

  1. ^ The Real Cost of Bottled Water
  2. ^ Denied:1up! Software
  3. ^ Plumbing: the Arteries of Civilization, Modern Marvels video series, The History Channel, AAE-42223, A&E Television, 1996
  4. ^ Copper Tube Handbook, the Copper Development Association, New York, USA, 2006
  5. ^ Uniform Plumbing Code, IAPMO
  6. ^ International Plumbing Code, ICC
  7. ^ Pacific Institute - Bottled Water
  8. ^ Tap v Bottled Site
  9. ^ http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/tob/File/Austin_Press_Release_10.10.pdf

External links

Dictionary

tap water

-noun

  1. Water that has come from a tap.
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